Chasing 484, 487, and 498 with Ernie and Joe Hereford on June 30, 1967

Since I posted 3 photos of the June 30, 1967, narrow gauge chase on Tank Smith's thread "First Train to Cumbres (1970), I decided just to go ahead and tell the rest of the story of that day 53 years ago.

In early 1967 with the narrow gauge on it's long winter sleep, I proposed to Ernie Robart that we should make a joint trip to the Magma Arizona for winter time steam. Here is an excerpt of Ernie's reply



Ernie was clearly low on funds, and not willing to spend scarce resources on the Magma Arizona, but he was really determined to get as much train chasing and photography on the narrow gauge as possible in summer of 1967. Well, he succeeded. As far as I can remember he caught all or part of each narrow gauge freight cycle that year. I was equally eager to do the same, but living 200 miles further away from narrow gauge country and having to complete my master's thesis research project made that much more difficult. But I did join Ernie on several chasing trips that summer, one of which was chasing 484, 487, and 498 on June 30. I took Ernie up on his offer for staying overnight at his place, and at the crack of dawn Ernie, Joe Hereford and I set off for Chama in my blue 1964 VW Beetle. 484 and 498 had brought a freight to Chama the day before, and 487 had brought a long string of empties from Durango. When we arrived we found 498 in the engine house for some minor work. The Ernie Robart photo below, scanned from Ernie and Joe's book "The Final Years, Alamosa to Chama" shows 498 in the old engine house. My Beetle just happened to sneak into the picture between 487 and the depot.



487 and the Durango-bound train were scheduled to depart first. Here is 487 ready to leave Chama while the hostlers are taking 498 and 484 around the wye.



Having turned on the wye, 498 and 484 are passing the Skyline lumber mill and the waiting Extra 487 West