Thursday March 22 1945
ALAMOSA
Cumbres 85” on ground, light snow during day, blizzard between 5:00 PM and 5:50 PM, then light snow again
Dispatcher’s memorandum: “5:50 PM Big Horn reports heavy snow for past hour and still snowing and drifting.
6:30 PM Antonito says been snowing heavy for an hour
Engine crew on 116 at Antonito reports snowing heavy from Cumbres to Antonito, hi wind and they hit several big drifts and say the extra west would not be able to make it to Cumbres.
No. 441 turned back from Antonito account snow conditions.”
No. 115 with engine 473
Conductor Roberts
Engineer Coughlin (to Chama)
Depart Alamosa 7:10 AM with 5 cars
Arrive Cumbres 10:24 AM
Depart Cumbres 10:26 AM
Arrive Chama 11:10 AM
Depart Chama 11:15 AM (engineer Brice)
Arrive Durango 4:05 PM
No. 116 with engine 478 (to Chama)
Conductor Hines
Engineer Katschenthaler (to Chama)
Depart Durango 11:15 AM with 5 cars
Arrive Chama 4:00 PM
Depart Chama 4:05 PM engine 483 engineer Coughlin
Arrive Cumbres 4:59 PM
Depart Cumbres 5:02 PM
Arrive Alamosa 8:30 PM
Alamosa extra 489 west
Conductor Wilson
Engineer Marsh
Depart Alamosa 3:45 PM with 10 loads 35 empties
La Jara 15 minutes set out and pick up
Arrive Antonito 5:40 PM- until 8:15 PM wait for snow report from No. 116, set out train, turn and pick up
Extra 489 east depart Antonito 8:15 PM with 4 loads 3 empties
La Jara 10 minutes pick up
Arrive Alamosa 9:45 PM with 5 loads 3 empties
SALIDA
Marshall Pass 26” on ground, 4:15 PM snowing hard, strong SW, 18 degrees
Gunnison extra 499 east with helper engine 496
Conductor Carlin
Engine 499 C Wilson
Engine 496 Cullinan
Depart Gunnison 4:35 PM with 68 loads 1 empty, (12 outfits, 56 coal, includes 11 coal for valley line)
Bonita 15 minutes hot box RG 9543, coal Salida, dry dope
Arrive Sargent 7:00 PM, 55 minutes set out, coal & water, eat
1st Sargent hill turn with engines 497 and 495
Conductor Trevarthen
Engine 497 Fitzsimmons
Engine 495 Crooks
Depart Sargent 7:15 PM with 11 loads 1 empty, flanger (number not shown)
Arrive Marshall Pass 8:30 PM
Extra 499 east with helper 496 depart Sargent 7:55 PM with 12 loads 1 empty
Arrive Marshall Pass 9:10 PM
Engine 495 (from hill turn) depart Marshall Pass 9:10 PM light for Sargent
Engine 497 (from hill turn) depart Marshall Pass 9:15 PM with caboose and flanger for Sargent
Engine 496 (from extra east) depart Marshall Pass 9:15 PM light for Salida
Extra 499 east depart Marshall Pass 9:45 PM with 23 loads 1 empty
Mears Jct 5 minutes set out 11 valley loads
Arrive Salida 12:05 AM with 12 loads 1 empty
2nd Sargent hill turn with engines 497 and 495
Same crew as 1st turn
Depart Sargent 11:00 PM with 11 loads 1 empty
Arrive Marshall Pass 12:20 AM
Engine 495 depart Marshall Pass 12:25 AM light for Sargent
Engine 497 depart Marshall Pass 12:30 AM with caboose for Sargent
GUNNISON
Baldwin branch with engine 268
Conductor Collett
Engineer Braswell
Depart Gunnison 8:30 AM with 14 empties
Arrive Baldwin 10:10 AM, 30 minutes mine work
Depart Baldwin 10:40 AM with 17 loads 1 empty
Arrive Gunnison 12:35 PM
Depart Gunnison 1:45 PM with 14 empties
Arrive Baldwin 3:25 PM, 20 minutes mine work
Depart Baldwin 3:45 PM
Arrive Gunnison 5:40 PM with 6 loads 1 empty
MONTROSE
Ouray branch with engine 345
Conductor Gribben
Engineer Price
Depart Montrose 9:50 AM with 3 loads 9 empties
1 mdse Telluride
2 coal Telluride
8 empty box
Arrive Ridgway 11:40 AM, 10 minutes switching
Depart Ridgway 11:50 AM
Arrive Ouray 12:25 PM with caboose, 34 minutes switching
Depart Ouray 12:59 PM with 2 loads 7 empties
Lotus 15 minutes switching
Arrive Ridgway 2:15 PM with 4 loads 1 empty, 1 hour 10 minutes RGS connection, 20 minutes air & inspection
Depart Ridgway 3:45 PM with 18 loads 5 empties
Arrive Montrose 5:20 PM
DURANGO
Silverton branch extra with engines 453 and 452
Conductor Knight
Engine 453 Johnson
Engine 452 Dieckman
Depart Durango 7:15 AM with 3 loads 1 empty
Arrive slide MP 492 ½ 10:30 AM, cleaned slide with drag line, engines…and section men, got engine 453 stuck in slide, delayed 1 ½ hours cleaning, departed 7:30 PM
Train and engine crew on release at MP 492 ½ from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, 2:00 PM to 7:30 PM, 5 hours 30 minutes clearing snow slide.
Departed from MP 492 ½ at 7:30 PM
Arrive Rockwood 10:00 PM, 10 minutes turn engines
Arrive Durango 11:20 PM with 5 loads 1 empty
Gunnison switch engine 340 with foreman Winters engineer H Gates
Durango switch engine 315 with foreman Rowe engineer House
Jimmy
