Re: Alamosa February 17 1945

Quote
Charlie McCandless
``Extra 493 west depart Poncha Jct 2:35 PM''
Jimmy,
Would this be Poncha Pass?
Also, it looks like the Marshall Pass trains didn't have anything pressing for the Valley as they arrived after the Valley line train left Mears Junction.
The Marshall Pass movements still didn't get all of the Gunnison freight into Salida. There was still a heavy grade into Poncha Junction. The Valley line train could pick those up on its return to Salida the following day, depending on how much freight it had.
Was the 60-car rul in effect on eastbound movements over Marshall Pass?

Poncha Pass would be correct, have posted edit to orginal post.

Loads for the valley line had been set out from a couple of previous Gunnison east bound trains.

Perhaps I should have elaborated more on the number of cars rule at the time the original question was posed. However, at that time the question centered around 60 cars.

Engines equipped with 1 - 8 1/2" CC Compressor

Narrow gauge territory -on 4% descending grades:

Empties or mixed loads and empties - 60 cars

Stock or other light loads - 45 cars

Coal or other heavy loading - 40 cars

On the Marshall Pass line, east bound, this covered Marshall Pass to Poncha Jct.

Recent posts have shown east bound (coal) trains leaving Marshall Pass with 39 cars, 38 loads and 1 empty.

By my calculations there were 71 loads (most of them coal) moving east from Marshall Pass on Feb 17. Extra 497 east moved 71 loads to Mears Jct. From Mears Jct took 38 to Salida, leaving at least 33 loads at Mears Jct. These were picked up by the valley line extra east on Feb 18. Between the loads that train had and what was on hand at Mears Jct it was necessary for the valley line extra east to double from Mears Jct to Poncha Jct.

Jimmy