Russo Loco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Calling All Fans and Supporters of the C&TS!!
>
> As nearly all of you know by now, during the late
> spring and the summer of 1970 a small hand-
> ful of volunteers labored almost every weekend to
> clear the track, replace bent and broken rail,
> and prepare the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
> to accept the equipment to be turned over
> to the two states of Colorado and New Mexico by
> the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
> This dedicated core of volunteers was assisted by
> a large number of helpers who came for only
> a day or two, for a week or ten days, or in some
> cases a month or more. Their hard work was
> rewarded when the first C&TS train arrived in
> Chama on Labor Day Weekend, 1970.
>
> If it weren't for ALL of these dedicated and
> selfless "Summer of Seventy" volunteers, the C&TS
> might not exist today - without their generosity
> and hard work the line might not have been
> cleared, there would likely have been no trains at
> all in 1971, and the railroad might have simply
> rusted and rotted away.
>
> On August 30th you will have a chance to say
> 'THANK YOU!' to these 'Summer of Seventy'
> volunteers, and to join them in celebrating their
> accomplishment!
>
> A special train is being planned to honor the
> volunteers during the 40th Anniversary Celebration
> by re-enacting - insofar as is reasonably possible
> - the arrival of the first C&TS Train into Chama
> on September 6, 1970. Rider boxcars and a rider
> gon will replace the three boxcars and one of the
> ballast gons pulled pushed through The Narrows and
> into town by engine #483 - still wearing the
> hideous movie make-up from her starring role in
> 'The Good Guys and the Bad Guys'. As many of the
> "Summer of Seventy" volunteers as can be located
> will be invited to ride and participate in the
> re-enactment pageant, and up to 40 sponsors of the
> train will be able to ride along.
>
> $100 buys one ticket for a sponsor and one for a
> volunteer; $150 buys one ticket for a sponsor
> and two for volunteers, $200 buys one ticket for a
> sponsor and three for volunteers, etc.
>
> It is currently planned that engine #484 will be
> painted up as "Good Guy" #483 for the occasion;
> the train will depart Chama in the early
> afternoon, be turned on the wye at Cumbres while
> photos are taken, and will follow the regular
> westbound train to Lobato. There will be another
> photo op at Lobato while cars are switched into a
> resemblance of the first train, and we will then
> proceed slowly through The Narrows, re-enacting at
> least a little of the tedious clearing of the
> tracks that took nearly the whole day in 1970.
>
> The C&TS did not celebrate a "Golden Spike" in
> 1970, but there was a "Rusted Rail" ceremony of
> sorts when two lengths of rail 'liberated' from
> the D&RGW at the west side of town were used to
> replace bent rail at the Highway 17 crossing;
> there will be a brief pause in recognition of this
> storied event, and then "#483" will push her train
> on into town for the 40th Anniversary Ceremonies
> and Celebration.
>
> The schedule shown for this train on the C&TS web
> site at
> [
www.cumbrestoltec.com]-
> events is subject to minor changes as details are
> worked out.
>
> we need the support of at least thirty 1-&-1
> sponsors by August 16 for the event to occur ...
>
> - Russ
>
> *****
>
> For Chile John Pritchard's memories of September
> 6, 1970, see
> [
ngdiscussion.net]
> 11719#msg-111719 et seq.
>
> Here are three of Ernie Robart's photos from that
> glorious day -
>
> The work train prepares to depart Cumbres early on
> a frosty morning:
>
>
> Volunteers clearing track and dumping ballast in
> The Narrows:
>
>
> Volunteers preparing the Highway 17 crossing for
> the "Rusted Rail" ceremony:
>
Russ,
Sign me up for the trip. Do you think it is posible for the "marketing department" to advertise and promote this trip? That would be nice.
