Following to add to the history that was copy-righted by Terence W. Ross 1971 being used in this list by Jaybawb. Non-titled 106 pages.
Monday September 21, 1970
#483 switched cars about the yard. It moved ties to be unloaded, then moved the caboose and a tool car. Next we serviced the engine with coal and water. It was pick and shovel to get some rock hard coal out of the tower. Next we ran #483 down to the wye and turned it around.
Tuesday, September 22, 1970
#483 did some switching in the yard and put an empty to the cinder track, switched a load of stone to track #2. Then switched out two loaded flat cars, which contained motor track cars so they could be unloaded. We switched from 10 AM until 1 PM when we put the #483 in the engine house to drop the fire account of the burnt grates in the front fireman center position. The grate was locked and could not be shaken which caused it to be burnt and melted. We repaired one of the track cars and made a test run from 7 to 7:45Pm Chama to Labato and return.
Wednesday September 23, 1970:
Track inspection and repair day. We departed Chama 11 AM with the goal of reaching Phantom Canyon to dig the dirt off the rails. There was still frost on the ground at Cumbres and we ran only to Toltec siding and turned around. About MP 322 the engine chocked up as not running under power and the engine died. It would not start. We pushed the car two miles toward Los Pinos Tank as a goal for the night, but after the engine cooled it started and we made Cumbres and the coast to Chama. After the arrival at Chama at 7 PM.
Thursday, September 24, 1970:
#483 cold, The Silverton dead for the season. What do you do? Walk the length of Monero canyon, as it will be gone in a few days. Walked the Biggs Jct. Spur. Walked the A.T.Sullengerber Logging RR at Azotea, and explore the possible grade south of the Willow Creek sawmill. Still don’t know if it was a railroad or an oxen road at the scar into the private Chama Land & Cattle Company property. Returned that afternoon to paint the caboose and find the Colorado State Boiler inspector, Fred Kooehler, (on own time) in the firebox breaking the grate free from the ring rim at the front. He directs us to get the replacement grates out of the #484, which was quickly accomplished. The Caboose gets more paint.
Friday, September 25, 1970 (The day it might have all ended)
We attempt to fire up the #483 using the exhaust from a hot rod car to make draft. It did not work and someone went and found an air compressor. One of first moves was to rerail a derailed empty dump gondola. Came up on wedges and block easier than any car I ever rerailed, could have done it with a rock. Some crews painted the caboose. Clean out the inspection pit in the engine house. Did some yard track work repairs while Terry Ross does some switching without a fireman. His handle ended with the screaming of the fire engines coming to pump water into the tender. The water was so warm in the tender the injectors would not work and the boiler was too low. Later #483 finished putting the train of five cars together for the run to Antonito the next day.
Saturday, September 26, 1970:
Someone worked the 5 cars over and pulled some of the old waste out of the journals and replaced it with dry cotton and poured oil on it. (Cotton must soak 2 weeks) Lv. Chama 9 AM, Cumbers 10:20 to 11:10, Los Pinos (almost) 11:30. Two hot boxes on gon and one on trailing journal fireman side. The Chama locomotive jack would not lift the journal until the spring linkage was wedged to isolate the engine weight. At that point the manpower on hand could lift the journal without a jack (si) and the brass was swapped and departure was at 6 PM. Osier 6:40 to 7, Sublette 8:10, Big Horn 8:45, Lava passed 9:05 and into Antonito 9:50 snow plow to snow plow pilots #487.
Sunday, September 27, 1970:
A pair of coupler welded together was dropped onto the two locomotives by a backhoe. Part of the great tools made in past years of experiences and collected in the cars of “junk” arranged by the fans that knew what the railroad needed. Dept: 11 AM with a stop at Lava 12:45 to 1 PM to remove the coupler addition and turn the #483 on the loop.
Arrival at Chama 8 PM. See the untitled book by Terence Ross for consist and handle.
More to follow. PRR
