Re: How I caught the bug!!!!!!!!

I was a mere five years old when my grandfather drove the two of us from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, all the way to Durango in 1967. I have a photo of the old passenger cars in work service that were stored Durango. The only real memory I have of that trip is being on the high line and seeing snow for the first time. Being from Louisiana that made a big impression.
At age 13 my grandfather(who was a real railfan), whose father was the stationmaster of the Texas & Pacific in Logansport, Louisiana, made the same drive again. This time we made a detour to Chama on the way to Durango. Despite the objections of the other family members, it wasn't just the two of us that time, we spent a full day in the Chama yards examining everything. If I wasn't hooked after that, I was when we went up the hill the next day behind the 487 and the 488 in the box car coaches.
We then continued the pilgramage to Durango and Golden. These are some of the best memories I have of being with my grandfather!
We were to make the trip, the two of us, to Skagway to ride the White Pass the next summer but he broke his leg in several places. I have yet to get to Skagway, but the research we did to prepare for the trip has hooked me in the White Pass.