As one who followed the C&TS literally from Day One (Sept. 1, 1970), Ernie Robart was one of my C&TS Heros. I still have a copy of Iron Horse News from Oct., 1970 with the picture of Ernie relettering the 483's tank. I was a member of the old Narrow Gauge RR Association that Ernie was heavily involved in. His name and pics were all over their newsletters. I finally met Ernie in June of 1981 shortly after I started working for the C&TS. He wandered up that way and spent a few days helping out and taking pics. He was of course a great guy and we became good friends. A week or so later I got a little envelope in the mail from Ernie. In it was a short note thanking me for the good time he had in Chama and said I "was nicest guy he ever met on the Narrow Gauge". Wow.... Also included were a few slides he took of his visit. We were running 488 on some hill turns to train George Knauff as engineer. George had been firing for a few years, but he was badly needed to be an engineer when 3 C&TS engineers left that spring for greener pastures. Russ was still working Chama, so he worked with George for a week as got he used to taking the trains down the hill. One of the days Ernie was there, I took my first (and only) student firing trip up the hill, and he took some pics of it:

488 in the Chama yard 6/4/81. Yours truly in the fireman's seat. We were hostling her around the yard.


The next morning, I'm looking rather... concerned..... about my upcoming student trip.


Heading out of town. You can see Russ hanging out of the gangway looking over George's shoulder.


Charging around Hurley's Curve. I was pretty proud at this point. Not only does 488 have a decently clean stack, but it looks like I got the pops to lift...


More to come as I find them...