Re: Highway 84 crossing - and fans . . .

Olaf Rasmussen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is the final view of December 5, 1967, with
> 497 approaching the Highway 84 crossing on the
> climb to Azotea.  Ernie and Jeff have also made
> it here after photographing the arrival of 493 in
> Chama, as shown in Ernie's photo on page 55
> of "The Final Years Alamosa to Chama". That's
> Ernie's car on the edge of the road.

Here's Ernie's shot of the Highway 84 crossing from a different direction more than 5½ months later — the so-called "Mad Dash" of 05/28/68:

Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved

> Back in the 1960s we thought the narrow gauge
> would be gone soon, but the people would always
> be there, so there are very few photos of the nar-
> row gauge fans of that time in action . . .   Who
> could have known that just the reverse would
> be happening over time — Ernie gone, but the
> narrow gauge surviving.


Ain't none of us gettin' any younger, Olaf -

As Walt Kelly so famously said, speaking through his character PorkyPine in the long gone but still not forgotten comic strip 'Pogo', "Don't take life too serious —
it ain't nohow permanent."   OTOH, it seems that some of Ernie's contemporaries are at least semi-permanent – mostly us old curmudgeons like you and me and
Roger and the JéBêWèX.

Speaking of the latter, I missed the "Mad Dash" myself but I'm pretty sure that's John West in the background on the fireman's side of #478 in the first of the following,*
and for sure it's you on top of "Olaf's Overlook" west of Big Horn in the second one:

Photos copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved

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

*  For confirmation of my hunch, see John's photo of #478 on his site at [chasingtrains.smugmug.com].



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2020 03:17PM by Russo Loco.