C&TS - October, 1982

Whatever marketing magic the Kyle folks came up with really kicked up business creating our first real Fall Stock Rush in the fall of 1982. Weekday trains were full, weekend trains were all doubleheaded 20-car affairs out of Chama. I worked every day until the end of the season, which was October 10. I fired every day except for two of them.

Earlier I mentioned an issue with the new cars concerning the lack of clearance between the brake pipe and the back of the wheels. The brake pipe was rubbing on the back of the wheels on curves, wearing a nice groove in the pipe and trying to bend the pipe out of the way. This eventually resulted in brake pipe leaks, and a couple of days the Antonito train was delayed while we tried to seal up leaks in order to get a legal air test.

October 1, I drove to Antonito fired a round trip from there to Osier and back. Then drove home – a long, 11 hour day. On Saturday, October 2, George and I used 488 to help 489 and 20 cars up the hill. George coached me on the art of bringing a light engine down the hill, which was a fun deal. I took my camera along and got some pics from the head end.

Here was are on the far side of Lobato Trestle waiting for 489 to pull up behind us.



Thundering up the hill through Cresco



Around Coxo Curve




One evening I was driving the van back into Chama, when I spotted the evening hostler crew in this unusual predicament. We were using the coal tipple on a regular basis. This evening they spotted the 487 for coal, yanked on the chain to open the doors on the coal chute, and the entire gate mechanism came apart. Tons of coal kept pouring into 487’s tender, filling the cab, pouring out on the ground, making a huge mess in general. I ran home to get my camera. Here Steve Carr and his assistant are trying to figure out how to put some wire fencing up over the hole so 487 can get moved out of the way.

Maybe the full moon coming up over the hills had something to do with it…….



Early on the Kyle folks figured out that in order to accommodate any growth in business, we really needed a 4th locomotive. The obvious choice for a 4th locomotive was 484. She had been set aside at the end of the 1980 season. In addition to a flue job, 484 was in desperate need of driver tires. Her tires were badly dished and too thin to turn again. New tires were needed. Wanting to do this as economically as possible, other set aside locomotives were inspected to see if any of them had decent tires that could be put under 484. 483’s almost as bad as 484’s, 492’s were so-so. 494’s over in Antonito looked good, but 495’s were the best by far. She seems to have had new tires installed in her last shopping. They had a bit of wear, were nice and thick, allowing for future turnings.

So, the only thing we needed to do was move 495 to Chama. Simple. Well, maybe. 495 sat on the west end of the display track right next to the entrance. Behind it was a string of semi-restored freight cars, a 6500 class flat loaded with a standard gauge 3-way coupler idler car, and 463’s tender. At this time 463 was in the south side stall in the engine house with no drivers under her, and we figured she would never move from there….ever. So, there would be some switching needed to get her out.

On Wednesday, October 6, Russ and I worked east to Antonito with engine 488. Russ apparently didn’t feel like running much as I ran from Chama all the way to Osier, and then from Osier to Sublette. I had my camera along and shot this nice pic as we crested to slight upgrade going through Big Horn.