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Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

September 05, 2018 12:14PM avatar
Hello, All -

IIRC, Ernie Robart began chronicling the last years of the Rio Grande narrow gauge back in 1964 or '65 — as soon as he was old enough to get a driver's license and a car reliable enough to get him from Albuquerque to Alamosa.  Unlike most D&RGW fans of the time,* he not only covered the dramatic action over Cumbres Pass but also the operations west of Chama that were reminiscent of standard gauge steam railroading a decade and more earlier throughout most of rural North America.  Fortunately for us, Ernie followed #483 from Chama with the last westbound loads on 08/29/68 (see [ngdiscussion.net] et seq) and stayed in Durango afterward in order to follow the very last revenue freight on the narrow gauge as 17 loads of oilfield supplies and two flats of wallboard were delivered to Farmington on August 31, 1968.

These first three photos show #483 exiting her stall in the Durango roundhouse and being prepared for her last day of regular service:
680830a09.jpg
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.

680831a15.jpg
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.

680831a17.jpg
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.

What appears to be a load of rail is between #483 and her caboose; the engine is sitting on what appears to be the new switch that tied the balloon loop for turning The Silverton into the old main line from Alamosa:
680831a21.jpg
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.

Following usual practice, the caboose was uncoupled en route to Carbon Junction for a "flying drop" of roughly a mile:
680831a23.jpg
Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.

(To be continued.)

- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender


* My fellow Curmudgeons John West and Tom Gildersleeve, along with Olaf Rasmussen, also being among the handful of exceptions.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2022 01:20PM by Russo Loco.
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Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart Attachments

Russo Loco September 05, 2018 12:14PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart Attachments

Russo Loco September 05, 2018 12:16PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Sharrod November 10, 2018 07:48AM

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Russo Loco September 05, 2018 12:43PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Jason Rose September 05, 2018 12:52PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

GuyFontaine September 16, 2018 05:45PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart Attachments

Russo Loco September 05, 2018 12:57PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Tomstp September 05, 2018 01:03PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Russo Loco September 05, 2018 01:38PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart Attachments

Russo Loco September 05, 2018 01:24PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Jerry474 September 05, 2018 02:18PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Russo Loco September 05, 2018 02:27PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Jerry474 September 05, 2018 02:53PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

drgwk37 September 05, 2018 07:37PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

CharlieMcCandless September 18, 2018 12:54PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart Attachments

Russo Loco September 05, 2018 02:12PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Tomstp September 05, 2018 03:29PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart Attachments

Jerry474 September 05, 2018 04:05PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Roger Hogan September 05, 2018 07:08PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Greg Scholl September 05, 2018 03:32PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Greg Scholl September 05, 2018 03:37PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

guymonmd September 17, 2018 01:28PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Russo Loco September 17, 2018 04:12PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

drgwk37 September 17, 2018 05:26PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Jerry474 September 17, 2018 06:43PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Sharrod October 16, 2018 06:59PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Sharrod October 17, 2018 10:39AM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Sharrod October 22, 2018 03:43PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

jim pallow September 05, 2018 05:49PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Colorado76 September 05, 2018 06:40PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

jessica stacey September 05, 2018 07:49PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Earl September 05, 2018 08:58PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Whitcomb1 September 05, 2018 10:11PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Earl September 06, 2018 11:07AM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

CharlieMcCandless September 18, 2018 12:42PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Dutch Flat October 22, 2018 05:21PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago (+ 5 days), by Ernie Robart

Russo Loco October 23, 2018 12:36PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago By Another In Color

rockrdg September 04, 2019 01:47PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago By Another In Color

Jason Rose September 04, 2019 01:59PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago By Another In Color

drgwk37 September 04, 2019 07:54PM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago By Another In Color

Greg Scholl September 05, 2019 09:14AM

Re: Last Train to Farmington, Fifty Years Ago By Another In Color

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