Re: Last revenue freight August 1968

Ernie did a pair of articles for the old New Mexico Railroader that gave the lowdown on the last 2 years the narrow gauge operated. As I recall 498 had around 15-20 loads of lumber as well as the empties it brought back from the last trip to Farmington in July. IIRC the first trip to Gato had some of the empties and some of the loads. The train got set out at Gato and returned to Durango as a caboose hop.

The next day the rest of the loads and empties went east. I don't recall the exact consists (they were noted in Ernie's article, but I don't have it handy), but at Gato empties were set out and an equal number of loads were picked up. I'm thinking the loads of lumber were all that made it to Chama. The empties stayed at Gato until the scrappers cut them up.

The train of loads had a tough time and stalled west of Monero, but got going again. As Mike Trent noted, there was no coal at Monero and they got into Chama running on coal dust.

483 & 484 came west from Alamosa with about 25 loads. 484 helped 498 east with the loads of lumber up the hill in one turn and 483 headed west toward Durango. 483 stalled on the hill west of Florida tank and took some cars to Falfa and set them out on the siding, then returned to the train. The 483 got the rest of the train over the hill, but they did not stop at Falfa to pick up the cars left on the first trip. They stayed at Falfa until the scrappers came through.