Re: Nice captures of the end of D&RGW n.g. freight ops

Thanks Brian, glad you like them. Yes I do feel fortunate, but this was not my first trip out there. I was there in 1956, 1961, and 1966, as well as 1968. Went out in 1969(No freights of course), and twice in 1971 for the C&TS.

My brother was shooting movies with my dads old 8mm. We got stuff from Ernie Robart and put it all in a video for 1968. Ironically he did not have the 3 days we shot. We were told another run from Alamosa would be any day, and dad stuck around with us a few days, and even killed time traveling to Belen to see the engines in the RH house there, streetcars in El Paso, etc. Eventually after several calls to Alamosa he said he thought we should head home. He was self-employed, but that just meant no money was coming in while we were gone!
That was a good trip, which started with the Memorial Day weekend riding the 8444 to Yoder. Then we saw the 346 at CRRM, before heading to the D&RGW. I think we called ahead or went to Alamosa for the latest info, and found the next run was from Durango with 478. This was with the loads from the first train of the year from Alamosa. We chased June 3 on the Farmington turn. Next day 498 made its first run of the season, taking stuff from Farmington and Durango(Mostly empties), on June 4th to Chama. We chased to Gato. Not being a Jack Rabbit like Olaf, we only got that train that day, but went to Chama for the next day. While we were doing 498, 483 and 493 came to Chama from Alamosa. Then on the last day 483 and 493 went back with some of the train brought in by 498. We got 498 heading west departing Chama then chased the train you saw at Cresco. By the way we had to hike down there from the road up above the tank. I was a spry 17 year old then. We traveled with a truck camper and that was adventure with the 4 of us. There was no potty in the thing, which probably explains why we didn't try any more chasing after Gato on the second day. Poor Mom!!!! She had to endure a lot!!!
In 1966 Dad, Randy, and I went to Colorado. The only thing running (Due to track work on the Farmington Line), was this water service train we shot from Durango to Gato. This is along the relocation road east of Arboles. 484 was eating our dust that day....poor engineer! Man that region was dry!
Greg