The Little Train

Les,
Calling it the litte train really brings back memories of when i was a little boy living with my grandparents at Bountiful just South of LaJara on the dual gauge main line. I can remember the "Little Train" as early as 1949 coming by the house. The real treat was one night when I and my little brother got to ride the Little Train to Alamosa. I will never forget that experience. What really hooked me was every day seeing the doubleheaders loaded mostly with pipe come blasting by the house going just as fast as the engineers could make them go. 480s and 490s is what I remember the best but i can remember the DRGW 1100s and the GP7s etc. Then, what really got me was years later I had the chance to switch on the RR while going to Adams State. The 3rd year I worked, i was 'forced' (darn it but someone had to do it) to work on the Silverton Train (The Little Train) in Durango in order to hold a job. I was hooked. I became a narrow gauge foamer for life. I had to, the passengers seemed to know a lot more than I did, this caused me to start buying books to study about the narrow gauge and to listen to all the stories I could, BS or otherwise. (Where was Coker when I needed him) I went on and finished my degree in business and accounting at Adams State but more important I stayed with the RR as a career. I have seen several guys do the same; their avocation became their vocation.
Woody w