Re: A Moonlight Ride and a Photo Freight - In 1972!!

Hello Greg, John et al -

IMHO, there's a MUCH better chance of attracting some passengers out of Antonito on August 25
than out of Chama on either August 20 or 23, as there will be a lot of fans staying in Alamosa that
evening if Earl's proposed SL&RG Photographer's Special on the 26th does come to pass. Even if
the SL&RG train isn't run, at least the C&TS won't be competing directly with moonlight events on
the D&S if the dinner train is postponed to August 25.

The C&TS ran its first Moonlight Dinner Trains from Chama to Osier in 1972. I missed the August train, but rode both the September & October editions. There was no dining hall at Osier in those days - we ate our bar-b-que'd steak outside in the moonlight on picnic tables. There was a generator, at least, and a few lights. IIRC, a young Curmudgeon-to-Be hauled a screen and projector along on the evening of October 21, and presented a slide show featuring the last days of the D&RGW over Cumbres to a captive audience as the starving masses stood in line waiting for their 'Succulent Sunset Steak Dinners'.  A mere whippersnapper of 30 at the time, even after turning in at midnight he had no trouble joining several other fans for the dawn departure of the C&TS first photo freight, 'The Toltec Rattler', early on the frosty morning of October 22, 1972 ...

Here's an ad from the summer of '72:


And a couple of Ernie Robart's photos of the Great Event in August -
Passing Cresco Tank:


Arrival at Osier:



- Russo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2010 11:00PM by Russo Loco.