The D&RGW and RGS normally pushed a dead rotary in front of the engines on upgrades and at the rear of the train on downgrades. When the D&RGW was pulling everything out of Gunnison, Denver management wanted Rotary OO to be brought to Salida to replace Rotary OM. The ordered the roadmaster at Gunnison to put it on one of the cleanup trains hauling cars out of the Gunnison area to Salida. The empty cars would provide braking power from Marshall Pass to Salida. The roadmaster was apparently afraid of hauling it and kept putting off the movement. When the final cleanup train left Gunnison, he left it behind. Management was ticked off and thought about sending a special train for it. Bob Richardson told me this story and said he didn't know whey they did not do it. They sold it to the scrapper at Gunnison,


D&RGW Alamosa Dispatchers Book
November 10, 1944
Salida work extra with engine 497
Conductor Rhodes
Engineer Hyatt

Move rotary OO Mears Junction to Gunnison

Depart Salida 6:35 AM with 15 empties (14 gons, caboose)
Mears Junction 25 minutes water and pick up rotary
Arrive Marshall Pass 9:20 AM
Depart Marshall Pass 9:30 AM
Sargent 10 minutes water, 10 minutes eat
Parlin 20 minutes pick up, 50 minutes unload 4 cars cinders
Arrive Gunnison 2:35 PM with 20 empties



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2019 09:15AM by Jerry474.