Since we've been waxing nostalgic on this link today already, I remember back in '73 I worked on the line as a car attendant for a month. The time there had a great start to it. I pulled into Chama in mid afternoon and found out that the train from Antonito had been delayed. They were running one train a day, one way only, back then. Seems the 484 had lost her air pump and couldn't leave Antonito until she got another. So the Scenic crew pulled a pump off another engine and dropped it on a truck to go over the hill and also sent the 483 east to rescue the train if necessary. Back then they only had one train of boxcar coaches!
Anyway, I drove over to Antonito and found repairs nearly complete on the 484 and the 483 just pulling into the yards. They got the 484 finished up and loaded up the few remaining passengers for the trip to Chama. All of the car attendants had skeedaddled so I was volunteered to make the trip - hurt me. They decided they would doublehead the train for show until after sundown then separate the engines and let the lite engine go in ahead.
We left Antonito about 5:30 or 6 and raced the sunset westward. We lost, with sundown coming about Big Horn and darkness settling it at Sublette, where we watered the horses and cut the 483 loose to go on ahead. The high desert loops around Lava and Big Horn take on a gorgeous sun bathed radiance as you chug westward towards the setting sun. It was indeed a marvelous trip. I remember seeing the shadows of the monoliths of Phantom Curve running along the hillsides in the beam of the headlight and the naming of the place was truly driven home.
We went into Chama without a meal stop and all were very tired (I had driven in from San Diego, nonstop!) but very happy from a beautiful and unexpected night time trip from Antonito.
If it can be done it would be worth it.
