C&TS - September, 1982
| March 07, 2017 01:33PM |
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September continued with entirely too much work. I had a total of 3 days off the entire month. I was spending a lot more days firing, working the left-hand side for 18 days and working as brakeman only 9 days.
On Wednesday, September 1, Russ and I worked 488 over to Antonito, spent the night in the upstairs depot apartment, then worked 488 back to Chama the next day, on September 2. For the first time, I show caboose 0306 in the consist coming back from Osier. It turned out that this was the last time we had to sleep at the Antonito Hilton.
On September 3 I was braking out of Chama. We had a dump bottom gondola in the consist to dump cinders in between the tracks when the passengers unloaded at Osier. The cinders were dumped at lunch hour, and the car brought back to Chama that afternoon. Sat. Sept 4’s train had us drop the open gon at Cumbres on the return trip and add 2 more box car coaches into the consist for the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend.
Sunday, Sept. 4 had George and I blasting up Cumbres with 488 and 13 cars. Heading up the hill between Coxo and Windy Point, we rounded a curve to find the lead motorcar operator running toward us waving a flag. We eased to a stop to find last night’s rain a brought down a small rock slide off the hill. It took us about an hour to get the rocks off the track and go on to Cumbres. After getting water at Cumbres, we added the open gon to the rear of the train and went on to Osier arriving 1:10 late. Coming back from Osier, we had 14 cars and George had me run all the way home.
Starting Monday, September 6, 1982, we began to sell through fares on the railroad again. Return transportation was provided by a beat up old Plymouth 11 passenger van. The crews would double up as van drivers. To accommodate the van schedule, the Chama Train departure was pushed back from 1000am to 1030am. Our Chama call times varied as they tried to cheap-out on us and cut our time back by a ½ an hour. We objected to the fact that the normal run from Chama to Osier had been shortened by 30 minutes, and by coming in at 930am us Chama guys only got 7 ½ hrs of pay while the Antonito guys got 8 ½ hrs of pay – and we ran the harder part of the RR. I don’t remember the final answer, but I think it worked out if you were the only person in your craft on duty in the morning and the other guy was coming from Antonito, you could come in a ½ hr early to get the engine or train ready. In the end we ended up getting longer days on general. If you went all the way to Antonito and rode the van back you got an extra 1-1/2 hours each day. If you drove over you got an extra 1-1/4 hours each day. And, if you did like did several times where I drove to Antonito in the morning, worked as brakeman on a round trip to Osier and back to Antonito, then drove home, that was close to an 11 hr day when it was all done. As the Antonito fireman was called at 800am to clean the fire and get the locomotive ready, on the days that 2 Chama Enginmen came over on the van, the Antonito guys got the fire cleaned and the engine out and on the train for us. I got kind of complicated, and I’m sure Gary did some serious head scratching to make sure it worked right. Although we accused him of simply getting out a dart board with our names on it and writing the schedule that way…….
Things went on with the same players until Sunday, September 19 when I took the van over to Antonito to fire 487 back to Chama. My engineer was a “new guy” I had never met before, Jim Shawcroft. I was a bit intimidated by working for this “old D&RGW guy”. I’d heard stories of how he beat his firemen up. It turned out Jim was a good guy, through and through. We had a good time. He ended up letting me run most of the way to Osier. After lunch I teamed up with George for the trip home. How Jim got to be working that day was pretty odd. The UTU or BLE had gone on strike, and Jim was out of work and didn’t know how long the strike was going to last, so he called Gary and asked if he needed help. Gary put him to work. It turned out the strike only lasted a few days, and Jim was back running to La Veta on the wide gauge and he didn’t come back again that year. He later got in trouble with the Union for working for us during the strike, even though we weren’t a union shop.
It was looking like the weekend of September 25-26 was going to be real busy. We were going to have our first real double headers (August one was “for fun”). We were running short of cars in Chama for the trains and we deadheaded quite a few cars back and forth, including 2 of the new Antonito-based cars to run in Chama.
Some buddies of mine from the Arizona NRHS Chapter came up that weekend to ride and chase trains. One of them later shared some pics of that weekend.
Of course, we had the stage the “double watering event” both days. Here 489 and 487 take a drink. Class lights already hung on 489 for its helper job up the hill. They’d get moved to 487 at Cumbres, then put on the 489 for the trip home. Russ and I were on road engine 487, George and a fireman scrounged up from the shop were on 489.
We had 20 cars plus 0306 on the train up the hill. I’m not sure what the deal was, but I showed 22 cars (and no caboose) coming back. I ran the upper part of the hill going east. And Russ let me get some experience with a long train coming off the hill, so I ran from Cumbres down as far as Cresco. As our train was too long to stop at the water plug at Cumbres without fouling the highway crossing, we got water at Los Pinos Tank. Here yours truly waters up 489…
The next day, Sunday, September 26 was the big day. We had 22 cars including 2 of the Antonito cars. George and I were on 489 as the road engine, Russ ran 488 as the helper. George decided that because all my buddies were chasing the train up the hill that he would let me run to Osier. Back then, the Lobo Lodge owners were much less paranoid about photographers on their precious property. The Arizona Gang hopped the fence, a couple went across the trestle to shoot on the other side, while others stayed near the siding. After cutting off from the train, Russ takes 488 toward the trestle……
Meanwhile your truly does his “Joe Cool” bit in the cab of 489.
On Wednesday, September 1, Russ and I worked 488 over to Antonito, spent the night in the upstairs depot apartment, then worked 488 back to Chama the next day, on September 2. For the first time, I show caboose 0306 in the consist coming back from Osier. It turned out that this was the last time we had to sleep at the Antonito Hilton.
On September 3 I was braking out of Chama. We had a dump bottom gondola in the consist to dump cinders in between the tracks when the passengers unloaded at Osier. The cinders were dumped at lunch hour, and the car brought back to Chama that afternoon. Sat. Sept 4’s train had us drop the open gon at Cumbres on the return trip and add 2 more box car coaches into the consist for the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend.
Sunday, Sept. 4 had George and I blasting up Cumbres with 488 and 13 cars. Heading up the hill between Coxo and Windy Point, we rounded a curve to find the lead motorcar operator running toward us waving a flag. We eased to a stop to find last night’s rain a brought down a small rock slide off the hill. It took us about an hour to get the rocks off the track and go on to Cumbres. After getting water at Cumbres, we added the open gon to the rear of the train and went on to Osier arriving 1:10 late. Coming back from Osier, we had 14 cars and George had me run all the way home.
Starting Monday, September 6, 1982, we began to sell through fares on the railroad again. Return transportation was provided by a beat up old Plymouth 11 passenger van. The crews would double up as van drivers. To accommodate the van schedule, the Chama Train departure was pushed back from 1000am to 1030am. Our Chama call times varied as they tried to cheap-out on us and cut our time back by a ½ an hour. We objected to the fact that the normal run from Chama to Osier had been shortened by 30 minutes, and by coming in at 930am us Chama guys only got 7 ½ hrs of pay while the Antonito guys got 8 ½ hrs of pay – and we ran the harder part of the RR. I don’t remember the final answer, but I think it worked out if you were the only person in your craft on duty in the morning and the other guy was coming from Antonito, you could come in a ½ hr early to get the engine or train ready. In the end we ended up getting longer days on general. If you went all the way to Antonito and rode the van back you got an extra 1-1/2 hours each day. If you drove over you got an extra 1-1/4 hours each day. And, if you did like did several times where I drove to Antonito in the morning, worked as brakeman on a round trip to Osier and back to Antonito, then drove home, that was close to an 11 hr day when it was all done. As the Antonito fireman was called at 800am to clean the fire and get the locomotive ready, on the days that 2 Chama Enginmen came over on the van, the Antonito guys got the fire cleaned and the engine out and on the train for us. I got kind of complicated, and I’m sure Gary did some serious head scratching to make sure it worked right. Although we accused him of simply getting out a dart board with our names on it and writing the schedule that way…….
Things went on with the same players until Sunday, September 19 when I took the van over to Antonito to fire 487 back to Chama. My engineer was a “new guy” I had never met before, Jim Shawcroft. I was a bit intimidated by working for this “old D&RGW guy”. I’d heard stories of how he beat his firemen up. It turned out Jim was a good guy, through and through. We had a good time. He ended up letting me run most of the way to Osier. After lunch I teamed up with George for the trip home. How Jim got to be working that day was pretty odd. The UTU or BLE had gone on strike, and Jim was out of work and didn’t know how long the strike was going to last, so he called Gary and asked if he needed help. Gary put him to work. It turned out the strike only lasted a few days, and Jim was back running to La Veta on the wide gauge and he didn’t come back again that year. He later got in trouble with the Union for working for us during the strike, even though we weren’t a union shop.
It was looking like the weekend of September 25-26 was going to be real busy. We were going to have our first real double headers (August one was “for fun”). We were running short of cars in Chama for the trains and we deadheaded quite a few cars back and forth, including 2 of the new Antonito-based cars to run in Chama.
Some buddies of mine from the Arizona NRHS Chapter came up that weekend to ride and chase trains. One of them later shared some pics of that weekend.
Of course, we had the stage the “double watering event” both days. Here 489 and 487 take a drink. Class lights already hung on 489 for its helper job up the hill. They’d get moved to 487 at Cumbres, then put on the 489 for the trip home. Russ and I were on road engine 487, George and a fireman scrounged up from the shop were on 489.
We had 20 cars plus 0306 on the train up the hill. I’m not sure what the deal was, but I showed 22 cars (and no caboose) coming back. I ran the upper part of the hill going east. And Russ let me get some experience with a long train coming off the hill, so I ran from Cumbres down as far as Cresco. As our train was too long to stop at the water plug at Cumbres without fouling the highway crossing, we got water at Los Pinos Tank. Here yours truly waters up 489…
The next day, Sunday, September 26 was the big day. We had 22 cars including 2 of the Antonito cars. George and I were on 489 as the road engine, Russ ran 488 as the helper. George decided that because all my buddies were chasing the train up the hill that he would let me run to Osier. Back then, the Lobo Lodge owners were much less paranoid about photographers on their precious property. The Arizona Gang hopped the fence, a couple went across the trestle to shoot on the other side, while others stayed near the siding. After cutting off from the train, Russ takes 488 toward the trestle……
Meanwhile your truly does his “Joe Cool” bit in the cab of 489.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.