C&TS Last Train of the Season - Oct. 22, 1972

Hi, all -

Forty-five years and about four hours ago, #483 and #484 whistled off in Chama with the C&TS very first photo freight, the Toltec Rattler.*  Here are the two "portable volcanoes" passing the water tower near the north end of the yard:


Lobato Trestle was still accessible on October 22, 1972, so most of us hard-core chasers walked across to get photos of the helper crossing ahead of the road engine.  #484 pulled the front of the train across the bridge, stopped, and #483 was backed and re-coupled.  Then engineers Rich Braden ('employee2' here on the NGDF) and Jim Shawcroft opened 'em wide as the train got underway toward the 4% grade beyond:


It was still a cool and frosty morning as the train neared Cresco Tank.  IIRC, my fellow cürmudgeoño JBWX was among the Phalanx of Phoamers visible about 50 yards upgrade from the bridge, although I don't remember meeting him back then:


At Cumbres the engines were uncoupled; #484 was assigned to the "chase" train, and #483 to the freight.  I don't remember the length of the train, but here's the front end rounding Cumbres Loop (aka 'Tanglefoot Curve'):


IIRC, for the shot above – and at Cascade Trestle below – I was ex-Sperry-menting with a polarizing filter, so the colors in these two shots are more intense than normal – even for Kodachrome:


John West was also aboard that day; his photo taken within seconds of mine – but from the opposite side of the trestle – can be seen on his new site at [chasingtrains.smugmug.com].

Note that, although run for photographers (and the "enjoyment" of the C&TS crewmen), this wasn't strictly a Phraud-O-Phreight™ – the lettering on the tenders wasn't changed from the small "CUMBRES AND TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD" done using Ernie Robart's original stencil, and the train was run as a double-header rather than with the helper cut in ahead of the caboose as was usually done with Cumbres Turns in the Rio Grande days.

- GRAMPS

*  IIRC, a "rattler" is a freight consisting mostly of empties, which rattle and bang a lot more than loaded cars.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2019 12:30PM by Russo Loco.