William W. Webb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am interested in this charter ,but I am also
> curious as to the freight car consist planned
> for the event. I am not enthusiastic about a
> child's coloring book consist (every type of
> car represented).  Hopefully it will be repre-
> sentative of the last freight or at least similar.


My thinking exactly, Bill -

But unfortunately the last westbound freight consisted of 18 boxcars of oilfield supplies and two flatcars of wallboard en route to Farmington, and the last eastbound freight over Cumbres Pass consisted of 14 boxcars of lumber headed from Durango to Alamosa, plus one boxcar of tools and track supplies and a 'dozer on a flatcar that were added to the front of the train at Toltec Siding — and SFAIK there are only seven (or maybe eight) boxcars available on the C&TS . . .  

It should be possible to replicate the front third of the westbound train – enough for Phraud-O-Graphers™ to get good still photos on curves – with #488 (or preferably #489 but with the plow removed) standing in for helper #483 and #484 playing herself as the road engine.  Perhaps the balance of the train (in addition to the rider cars) could consist of just pipe gons and idler cars that would have been typical of other westbound freights during that last year.

The absence of a K-37 to stand in for #498 precludes an accurate re-creation of the last eastbound freight, but the rear half of that train could be represented by having all of the available boxcars in front of helper #484 at the rear of the train from Chama to Cumbres, allowing at least realistic going-away shots (at 'Lake Lobato', for example), and immediately in front of the caboose after the helper is dropped at the summit for going-away shots at several spots east of the pass where the identity of the engine might be hidden.  (Apache Road won't work — unless Johnny Coal and The Friends do a MASSIVE rebuild of the snow fences and telegraphone poles by next August):


Of course run-bys offering very unique shots of helper "#483" drifting solo downhill from Cumbres to Chama, and #484 drifting light from Cumbres to Antonito, should be planned:


- Roosso de los Locos viejos y verdes (aka 'El Instigatador')

p.s.  I wonder if it might be possible to add the small  D E N V E R   &   R I O   G R A N D E   W E S T E R N  lettering to the trim board just below the roof of a caboose, and re-number her to 04343 for the sake of histœrical accuracy?  And don't forget the headrests that show in the rear windows of her cupola . . .    



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2018 10:57AM by Russo Loco.