Re: Can the C&TS still do this?

John and John and John, (John cubed? )

What you said about the boxcars used on charters of the past being loaded with stored parts is still true today. Parts of the Jordan spreader made it up and down the hill inside of one of the long reefers several times during its lengthy rebuild.

For the past several years, there has been an ongoing Friends project to return some of the old rider boxes back to the original boxcar configuration. This was undertaken to provide additional boxcars for freight trains, storage for parts for both the RR and the Friends, and to 'save' the cars with the worst sill deterioration. Cutting the sides open for rider boxes exposed the sills and insides to water/snow intrusion resulting in a lot of damage. I do not know how many the Friends plan to restore. And with the Commission leasing/renting out six rider boxes to the Loop, I am not sure how many are left to convert. I know that it was not planned to convert all of the rider boxes back to boxcars as they are occassionally needed for charters and extras. If the Loop rebuilds them then they will hopefully be in good shape if/when they return.

FWIW, even though the cars that are used for Friends tools, bolts and nails, food prep, and other storage are occassionally moved around the yard, I really don't know how roadable they are today. Maybe Art R knows.

For the long term future, the planned Chama Restoration facility proposed to be built down by the wye MAY provide storage space for many of the items presently in boxcars. IF, of course, enough funding is found to build a structure large enough to provide storage space. The Antonito CRF has already out grown its storage space now being provided by the two SG reefers sitting on the ground on the north side of the building. IMHO, the Chama CRF has, unfortunately in my mind, taken a back seat to the controversial Visitor Center. But that's a thread for another day.