Re: Where's WalMart? - and other Fotos from Fifty Years Ago Today (08/28/68)

I can't find my notes on this day (one day I will actually create a filing system), but 498 had a tough time getting the loads to Gato the day before, and had to double Bocea Hill out of Carbon Jct. the next day, she had a much easier time with the empties. At Gato they picked up the loads left the day before and set out some of the empties in deference to the grade up through Amargo and Monero Canyons. As it was, they stalled west of Monero and had trouble getting underway again.

I got a story from the rear end brakeman who was caught not flagging the rear of his train while stopped west of Monero. His point was there was no need to flag as they obviously were the only train out there. He settled down in the cupola of the caboose for a nap, only to be awakened by a huge BANG. He jumped out of the cupola to find the MW02 inspection car with its nose buried deep in the rear knuckle of the caboose. There was a fun story about how they covered this all up and towed the car to Monero or some place where it was set out.

There also is a urban legend that when 498 stopped to get coal in Monero, the coal chute was empty (except for the dead cat) and they were essentially out of coal when they got to Chama. Ernie's pics show coal still up on the shelves on the sides of the tender, even though 498's extremely clear exhaust going over the top of the Divide at Azotea would indicate a lack of fire in 498's firebox. The shot coming into Chama indicates fresh fire being shoveled into 498.... It makes a great story though.

BTW the "industry" next to the tracks climbing the hill out of Carbon Jct. Was and (to my knowledge, still is) Basin Co-op.