Riding the narrow gauge – Part 1b
| September 28, 2018 01:49PM |
My son and I walked around the yard snapping photos of equipment. Below is my 6 foot tall son posing in front of the OY, showing that the rotary is no small machine. Although it had been painted only a couple of years ago, the paint is already starting to peel in places. (You need to click on the photos separately to see them clearly.)
The following morning, after breakfast at the Boxcar Cafe, we headed down to the yard to see what was happening before boarding the PARLOR CAR for our trip to Antonito. There we found a mass of people. Everything was running late so that the crowd included passengers for the extra-long regular train as well as the special. There was a lot of train movement in the yard and with so any people milling around, the railroad employees and train docent finally started shooing everyone off to the parking lot side of the yard. This reduced photo opportunities but was understandable. I found that if you were willing to move further towards the coaling tower or water tank and weren’t too close to the tracks, the staff didn’t have a problem. Although I got a few photos of the two engines on our train, the train was not put together until after the 315 had left, so I didn’t get a shot of train all put together, as we needed to get onto the parlor car.
The parlor car is beautiful with very comfortable high backed chairs. I had previously brought up my concern regarding the considerably higher price of riding this car. My verdict – Loved It!! My advice is that the next time you ride the C&TS – GO FOR IT! I have included a photo of the car interior. That is my wife Kathy, mid car, looking back at the camera. Her “rabbit ears” are the courtesy of our son Nick. On the day we rode, the westbound train had a gondola and caboose tacked on the rear, and the eastbound train the following day also had a caboose tacked on the rear. I think this is a serious mistake on the part of railroad. It eliminates a great feature of riding the parlor car.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2018 03:45PM by Jim McKee.
The following morning, after breakfast at the Boxcar Cafe, we headed down to the yard to see what was happening before boarding the PARLOR CAR for our trip to Antonito. There we found a mass of people. Everything was running late so that the crowd included passengers for the extra-long regular train as well as the special. There was a lot of train movement in the yard and with so any people milling around, the railroad employees and train docent finally started shooing everyone off to the parking lot side of the yard. This reduced photo opportunities but was understandable. I found that if you were willing to move further towards the coaling tower or water tank and weren’t too close to the tracks, the staff didn’t have a problem. Although I got a few photos of the two engines on our train, the train was not put together until after the 315 had left, so I didn’t get a shot of train all put together, as we needed to get onto the parlor car.
The parlor car is beautiful with very comfortable high backed chairs. I had previously brought up my concern regarding the considerably higher price of riding this car. My verdict – Loved It!! My advice is that the next time you ride the C&TS – GO FOR IT! I have included a photo of the car interior. That is my wife Kathy, mid car, looking back at the camera. Her “rabbit ears” are the courtesy of our son Nick. On the day we rode, the westbound train had a gondola and caboose tacked on the rear, and the eastbound train the following day also had a caboose tacked on the rear. I think this is a serious mistake on the part of railroad. It eliminates a great feature of riding the parlor car.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2018 03:45PM by Jim McKee.
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Jim McKee | September 28, 2018 01:49PM |
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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.