Well fellow 'creeps' my other two posts have broken down into the usual name calling, so lets try this again.
Chama Steam was counting on the 489 being completed in time, hence four engines would be available. Now there are only three. One is in Antonito for the train from there and two are in Chama. So the double header has to be run Saturday evening after the Antonito train gets in. It will almost be dark. Then Sunday, it's fall foliage time so I assume the regular trains are packed and routinely double headed to Cumbres. Where do they get the locomotive for the train on sunday? Do they leave the train up on Cumbres Saturday night and bus eveyone up there on sunday? Does it hitch a ride behind the regular passenger on sunday? Does it wait until the regular passenger leaves and the helper gets back? Does it go up first early in the morning and then wait up at Cumbres while the helper goes back for the regular passenger? Or does CATS forgoe some revenue and just single head both trains up the hill. Thats Sunday. Now it's Monday and both trains are in Antonito with two engines or maybe only one. Unless they tie the charter freight behind the Antonito passenger using just one engine, then the Chama passenger has only one engine to take it up the hill because the other two are in Antonito. Hey maybe Monday is a slow day and they can run a short train. Or maybe they make a special run with the gon and concession car Sunday night and leave them up at Cumbres. It's going to be really interesting to see this circus unfold. And if an engine goes down between now and Saturday, then it's a whole new ball game.