The Best Narrow Gauge Picture I Have Taken....

On Saturday, August 21 I rode up to Antonito from Taos with Jeff Stebbins and his son-in-law TJ. Jeff was the engineer on the regular passenger train pulled by #489 and I had a ticket for the 168/425 to Bighorn and return. Both trains ran without any major issues and a great time was had on the 168/425 special. That day the crews of the Eureka and Glenbrook were sorting out their locomotives and working with the FRA official to get ready for the first trip on Sunday. After the return of the regular train pulled by #489 Jeff serviced the locomotive by filling it full of water and oil (which takes about 45 minutes). During this time the Eureka & Glenbrook crews coupled their locomotives together with a drawbar and then backed down and coupled up with the vintage consist. Finally, Jeff was ready to depart for Chama and was just climbing into TJ's truck when Max Casias approached him and said the FRA official had just decided that he wanted to see the Eureka/Glenbrook take the historic consist out to Ferguson's trestle and Jeff was needed as pilot. Jeff climbed aboard and off the train went with myself and TJ in pursuit. The train ran about two miles out of town and then the FRA official decided that all was well with the brakes and told the crew they could return to Antonito. By now the sun was setting. The train backed up about 1/4 mile and stopped and then the crew got out and took photos with a fantastic sky. I took a series and think this is the best photo I have ever shot of a narrow gauge train in my 40 years of taking photos: