Re: 1968 Project Update - and 2010 special

Hi, Ned -

1970 was too late for the last of the D&RGW narrow gauge, except for the Silverton branch.
The last freights over Cumbres were run on August 28 & 29, 1968. #483 was used for some
movie work in September, the National Park Service inspection train ran in late November,
and a "hospital" train with spare parts and engine #481 dead in the consist was pulled from
Alamosa to Durango on December 5 & 6 by locomotive #473 - the last engine to be shopped
in Alamosa.  #483, the helper from Alamosa to Chama, returned eastward on December 6,
1968; this was the last D&RGW train over Cumbres Pass.

During the summer of 1970 several volunteers worked at clearing the line and straightening or replacing rail damaged during the re-alignment and paving of highway 17; the first C&TS train arrived in Chama on Sunday evening, September 6, 1970.   It is these heroic "Summer of Seventy" volunteers whom we hope to be honoring with a special train on the C&TS on Monday afternoon, August 30, 2010 - details to be announced soon.

- Russ

p.s. See [ngdiscussion.net] et seq for some pics from 1968.  IIRC, a few of these will be included on Greg's new DVD.