Hi All -
Too much mention has been made of last Saturday's slide show at Cumbres without recognizing the primary photographer featured therein - Ernie Robart - who not only chronicled the last few years of D&RGW narrow gauge freight operations,* but also played a big part in the preservation and a huge role in the resuscitation of the Antonito-to-Chama portion of the San Juan Extension that survives today as the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
Fifty years ago this morning, Ernie caught
Rio Grande loco #498 and a caboose heading south from Durango to Carbon Junction
:
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
. . . where a long string of empty pipe gons and idler cars was picked up.
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
From Carbon Junction, where the line south to Farmington once split off, the main line headed uphill to the east across the current location of Durango's WalMart shopping center and crossed Highway 160
:
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
. .. and past a small industrial complex that still exists today (and behind which a portion of the railroad grade can still be seen)
:
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.
(To be continued.)
-
Roosso
*
'Rio Grande Narrow Gauge - The Final Years, Alamosa to Chama', which Ernie co-authored with Joseph P. Hereford, is available from The Friends of the C&TS.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2018 11:46AM by Russo Loco.