Great trip to Narrow Gauge Country

Here is the album,
[picasaweb.google.com]

The photos attached are from Sublette, New Mexico and from Hangman's
Trestle south of Antonito,Co.

Sunday June 15th a friend and I headed down to Chama,NM to shoot the
first trip of the restored Rio Grande 2-8-0 C18 #315 over Cumbres Pass.

Along the way we got a few shots of the San Luis & Rio Grande #18
at Blanca,Co in the head on nose light.

From there we headed to Antonito,Co to photograph the SLRG passenger
train that connects with the Cumbres & Toltec Narrow Gauge line there.
The narrow gauge train leaves at 10 am and we missed it's departure.

Moving onto Cumbres Pass we arrived just after the crew had split up
the freight-passenger double header. The Chama to Antonito train
hauled up the freight cars
and the passenger train in one piece. The 315 would pick up the
freight cars on Monday. We did get shots of the 484 pulling the
passenger train and of the 487 after they were done switching. We
found a new spot just below Tanglefoot Curve to shoot the 484 as it
continued onto Antonito.

Although the 487 was running light back to Chama we grabbed a few photos of it
on it's return to Chama. Coxo, the Narrows, the Chama River bridge and
Chama yard to name a few.

Then we found the Rio Grande 315 simmering in the Chama Round House.
The 487 needed to go into the stall that the 315 was sitting on so we
got to see them move it out of the barn and over onto another lead
into there.

Needing lunch we hit Fosters and then piled into the car to find the
Antonito to
Chama train.

We arrived at Cumbres Pass a few minutes before the train and worked
in some photos around the section house while they took on water and
turned up a few retainers. A stop was made at a couple of spots I have
wanted to catch the train on it's afternoon trip down the line. The
pond below Coxo Crossing wasn't as flat as I wanted it but it made for
a nice photo. Next spot was at Cresco Tank, then on down in the
Narrows and into Chama.

After that we watched the crew switch in the yard and went back to
Fosters for a much needed cold one. We also took a few night shots of
the 315.

Monday morning we awoke to beautiful cloud free blue sky's.

The 315 was getting ready for it's trip so we caught it working around the yard.
While the crew did their pow-wow we headed for Jukes Tree just outside of Chama.
They left town right at 8:00 am and mounted their charge up the grade.

Moving up to the entrance of the Narrows we waited for them to pass.
The wind was blowing just enough to curl the smoke over the rider cars and
disguse them. Next stop was at the end of the Narrows, we tried to get the lake
into the photo. More shots were taken around Labato siding and the trestle.

A couple of my favorite shots were taken at Cresco Tanks and just below Coxo.

We tried a new spot across the highway at Windy Point and then moved up to
Cumbres Pass.

After that we headed back down to the spot at Tanglefoot that we found the
day before. Some of the last spots we shot at before the train goes
away from the highway were Apache Crossing and Los Pineos.

Another friend was chasing with his suburban so we loaded up in it and
headed back into Sublette and waited for several hours. Sitting in the
siding few ex-BA&P
hoppers they are using to haul ballast.

The Chama to Antonito train was ahead of the 315 now and that let us
test our location.

I have never photographed this side of the line from the roads, just
on the train.

We made it up to a grade crossing in between Sublette and Big Horn in
good light then the clouds rolled in as the train passed.

Moving out to Big Horn we got some neat shots of the train working through the
s-curve and then out at the wye.

The last 2 locations were Hangmans Trestle and Antonito,Co.
We got some great shots out there.

One last stop was made in Alamosa to get some shots of the fresh
San Luis & "Rio Grande" logo on one of their GE's.

All in all it was a great "historic" day as from everything I've read the 315
had never powered a train over the line. It was very neat to be there for that.

--
Nathan Zachman
Colorado Springs, Co



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2008 07:02PM by nzachman.