Re: First C&TS Dinner Trains - 08/25 & 09/22, 1972
| October 22, 2017 09:54PM |
|
John Cole Wrote:
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> Great photos Russ, thanks for posting them. Two
> things, wow, there were a lot of telegraph poles
> still standing then. Where was dinner served at
> the “ghost town” of Osier? When Joanie and I
> first rode the CATS, it was about 1985 and we
> were served cold sandwiches on the section-
> house porch, and ate our lunches ('til it rained)
> on picnic tables out in the open.
As they traditionally say in the opening lines of mystery novels, John -
"It was a dark and stormy night!" IIRC, the Succulent Sunset Steak Dinners were grilled out in the open, and served (along with the salads, baked potatoes, beans, garlic bread and whatever passed for dessert & beverages) from the section-house porch. IIRC the steaks – though very tasty – cooled off quickly in the brisk mountain breezes wafting across those same open picnic tables that you and Joanie enjoyed several years later, but at least there was plenty of hot coffee available to keep us flexible enough to get back on the train after dinner. It was a far cry from the comfort of the current dining hall at Osier, but it wasn't entirely dark – there was a generator operating somewhere, with enough output to provide lights in and near the section-house, and to power the projector which some wild-eyed railfan had hauled along to provide a slide show to the captive audience waiting in the long dinner line.
The following have all been posted before – but rather than do long searches to provide links, here are a couple of Ernie Robart's photos of the first of the Three Great Events dinner trains, on August 25, 1972:
Photo copyright © 1972, 2007 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
Photo copyright © 1972, 2007 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
. . . and several of mine from the second C&TS dinner train, on September 22, 1972:
Fortunately, there was enough moonlight for me to stumble around and take a few time exposures while waiting for dinner to be prepared; the last shot was taken at Cumbres on the way back to Chama:
- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2019 12:34PM by Russo Loco.
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> Great photos Russ, thanks for posting them. Two
> things, wow, there were a lot of telegraph poles
> still standing then. Where was dinner served at
> the “ghost town” of Osier? When Joanie and I
> first rode the CATS, it was about 1985 and we
> were served cold sandwiches on the section-
> house porch, and ate our lunches ('til it rained)
> on picnic tables out in the open.
As they traditionally say in the opening lines of mystery novels, John -
"It was a dark and stormy night!" IIRC, the Succulent Sunset Steak Dinners were grilled out in the open, and served (along with the salads, baked potatoes, beans, garlic bread and whatever passed for dessert & beverages) from the section-house porch. IIRC the steaks – though very tasty – cooled off quickly in the brisk mountain breezes wafting across those same open picnic tables that you and Joanie enjoyed several years later, but at least there was plenty of hot coffee available to keep us flexible enough to get back on the train after dinner. It was a far cry from the comfort of the current dining hall at Osier, but it wasn't entirely dark – there was a generator operating somewhere, with enough output to provide lights in and near the section-house, and to power the projector which some wild-eyed railfan had hauled along to provide a slide show to the captive audience waiting in the long dinner line.
The following have all been posted before – but rather than do long searches to provide links, here are a couple of Ernie Robart's photos of the first of the Three Great Events dinner trains, on August 25, 1972:
Photo copyright © 1972, 2007 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
Photo copyright © 1972, 2007 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
. . . and several of mine from the second C&TS dinner train, on September 22, 1972:
Fortunately, there was enough moonlight for me to stumble around and take a few time exposures while waiting for dinner to be prepared; the last shot was taken at Cumbres on the way back to Chama:
- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2019 12:34PM by Russo Loco.
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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.