Otto Perry, Axis Spy?

In looking through DPL's Otto Perry collection over the years, the absence of photos between Pearl Harbor and V-E Day was obvious, and understandable. Whether it was patriotism, or shortages, or fear of getting caught ("Otto. That's German, isn't it? Maybe you should come to the station with me while we make some phone calls . . . "), it appears that he put his camera down for the duration.

So I was surprised today to find incontrovertable proof that Otto Perry was aiding and abetting the enemy. These photos were taken in June, 1944. While the Allies are securing the Normandy beachhead, a spy walks among us:









Seriously - what's going on here? Passenger service ended years earlier, this is an extra train, and there's no RPO. What would cause the D&RGW to run a passenger extra through the Black Canyon, and what would cause Perry to go out and take pictures?

It took looking through a few captions to find the answer:

"Passenger, operated between Montrose and Gunnison, Colo., for several weeks because highway birdge near Sapinero was out; 2 cars."

JAC