493 on Chama turn, DAY 2, 52 years ago today 11-22-67

52 years ago, on November 22, 1967, engine 493 was hard at work hoisting lumber loads up the 4 percent grade from Chama to Cumbres. The engine had brought 17 loads of drill mud from Alamosa to Chama the day before.



On the morning of November 22, 493 pulled 8 flat cars loaded with lumber from the Skyline mill in Chama, and spotted more empty flats for lumber loading. In the Chama yard 493 set out one car of lumber and made up a Cumbres turn with 7 loads of lumber and the caboose. I was here with my brother Wolf(gang), naturally chasing in the blue 1964 VW beetle. A number of other railfans were here also, including Ernie Robart, but Ernie and I were not sharing the ride on this trip since I had to pick up my brother in Boulder at the University of Colorado. My brother was about to head to Italy and Germany for a number of years, so this was an opportunity for us to get together.

Note: to tell this story I am including a couple of Ernie's photos, my B&W photos, my 8mm movie screen shots, and my brother's photos riding the lumber flat cars down hill from Cumbres.

Here is an Ernie Robart photo of 493 with her Cumbres turn just before Lobato. One of the railfans in the photo may be Jim Marcus, but I am not sure (after 52 years).



My brother and I caught the train above Dalton on a decidedly cold and damp morning







(to be continued)