September 12, 2009 10:32PM
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Registered: 16 years ago
Posts: 333
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Hello all my name is Dan Hetzel, I am 40 years old and live in Adel, Iowa.
I am a auto tech of 20 years exp by trade and love anything mechanical.
Like most of you,my Father is the reason for my love of trains. He worked for Fairbanks Moris and work on back up or primalry power stations for small towns across the midwest.In his travels he would bring stuff back for us kids or know where or next vacation was gonna be. On year he broght back a postcard of the Silverton and said thats or next years vacation. I just remember looking at the picture and wandering why I could not see the wheels on the engine.
We spent two weeks in Colorado the summer of 1975. My Dad took many rolls of super 8 movie film and when we returned, could not wait to have the nieghbors over to show our trip. This is how I got the bug for the narrow gauge and have loved it ever since. I would ride the Silverton again in 1977 and visit the Colorado Railroad Museum for the first time. Because of this the K-28 is my favorite engine. I have riden behind all three. 473 in 1975 476 in 1977 and 476 &478 as a double header in 1984.My last visit was two days befor they stoped running during the Mission Ridge fires the summer of 2002.
My first time to the C&TS would come much later, 1996. then return in 1998.Got to see 463 run around the yard and had a K-36 double header.
I have done a little model railroading but not much. Had HO HOn3 On3 Lionel and LGB G scale.
Before my wife and I had children, I tried to get hired on at the DSNG but got no reply to my application. So I decided to help out at a local tourist railroad here in Iowa and they had a brand new Chinese steam engine. I spent twelve years working with the Boone & Scenic Railroad Steam Department. Here I learned how to fire and operate a truly coal fired steam engine.The BSV is one block away from the UP main that runs through Boone, in fact the BSV interchanges with the UP and handles local industries. Every once in a while after the UP merger, DRGW motive power would run through town and I would stop what I was doing and tip my hat as is passed.
I still would like to pull the throttle of a drgw mike or expierence firing one up Cumbres.I guess I still can.Im young yet.
I often wonder while running our engine how it must have been. The thing with our engine is it has no history. With any other steam you can find pictures of it from time gone by and feel the hand of all the engineers who have sat in the same part of the cab, pulled that same throttle, leaned out that same window.
One of my other interest is railroad motorcars and I have restored two cars. I have since sold out all my speeders but still part owner of a narrow gauge speeder that needs to make it out to Colorado.I have ran a Std gauge speeder out of Alamosa in all three directions. Antionito, La Veta And Monte Vista. Then ran the Creede Branch.
I love the NGDF it keeps me in touch with the goings on in Colorado railroads and I love the discussions of old pictures , right of ways, operation practices of the DRGW, as well as current pictures of them as well.A big Thank You to you all for all the trouble of posting trip picutres or writting about the narrow guage.
My user name is JS Driver from running the BSV JS 8419
Thank You
Dan Hetzel
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Samart |
September 11, 2009 06:03PM |
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Etrump |
September 11, 2009 07:56PM |
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dandtsrr2 |
September 12, 2009 12:31AM |
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rdmstr |
September 12, 2009 12:29AM |
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Samart |
September 12, 2009 08:35AM |
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michael |
September 12, 2009 10:08AM |
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k28drgw |
September 24, 2009 09:28PM |
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K-27 Afficianado |
September 12, 2009 01:30AM |
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Ten Wheeler |
September 12, 2009 11:38AM |
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Steve Singer |
September 12, 2009 01:58PM |
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San Juan |
September 12, 2009 12:20PM |
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gbrewer |
September 12, 2009 01:39PM |
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Jason Rose |
September 12, 2009 05:04PM |
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dandtsrr2 |
September 12, 2009 06:13PM |
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Skip |
September 12, 2009 04:35PM |
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Will Gant |
September 12, 2009 07:19PM |
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JS Driver |
September 12, 2009 10:32PM |
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South Park |
September 12, 2009 11:20PM |
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El Skonk |
September 12, 2009 11:43PM |
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chris king |
September 14, 2009 02:23PM |
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Samart |
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Festus |
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Russo Loco |
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EBTfan15 |
September 20, 2009 06:53PM |
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South Park |
September 20, 2009 09:03PM |
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Skip |
September 21, 2009 09:55AM |
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Russo Loco |
September 18, 2009 06:56AM |
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Ed Stabler |
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Russo Loco |
September 18, 2009 08:00AM |
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Russo Loco |
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Jason Rose |
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Skip |
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Russo Loco |
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Ed Stabler |
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Russo Loco |
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wt fan |
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sjh7 |
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Larry Spencer |
September 15, 2009 11:21AM |
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drgwk37 |
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Doc |
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Samart |
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BillD |
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MD Ramsey |
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Rick Steele |
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Skip |
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SebJ |
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Jim Grigsby |
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Russo Loco |
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Skip |
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Jon Bentz |
April 16, 2010 05:03PM |