Re: Chasing the narrow gauge 55 years ago, June 1964

Phabulous Photos, Olaf -

Thank You for posting!!   I especially appreciate the shot taken at the Skyline sawmill – very rare, indeed – and those showing how close the road was to the tracks at a couple spots in The Narrows.  IIRC, it would have been possible to lean out of the window of one's car and touch the cylinder of the moving loco if one were loco enough to try that . . .

Earl Wrote (approximately):
-------------------------------------------------------
> June 5, 1964 —
>   Cumbres Turn:  492 eng E. Morgan, frm J. Shawcroft;  487 eng J. Lira, frm R. Weirick   called 10:00am
>   X 492-487 E:     487 eng E. Morgan, frm J. Shawcroft;  492 eng J. Lira, frm R. Weirick   called   2:00pm
>
> It would interesting to know why the engine crews
> swapped engines. probably something to do with
> "first in, first out" . . .

. . . and Thank You Earl for some of the details, although it doesn't look to me like they swapped engines.*   IIRC, Eldon Morgan and Jim Shawcroft were also the engineer on #483 and fireman on #484, respectively, for the westbound trip from Alamosa to Chama on 08/28/68.  The next day Eldon ran helper #484 eastbound from Chama to Alamosa while Jim fired on road engine #498 — the very last D&RGW revenue freights over Cumbres Pass.

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

*  Corrected per Earl's update, above.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2019 12:50PM by Russo Loco.