Happy New Year to all!
I’m going to list my top 3 narrow gauges memories from 2010 - too hard to pick just one.
#315 at Railfest. Her final run day, she ended up in Silverton to drop the fire one final time; eventually to be put away in the Silverton Northern engine house. I had a hotel room in Silverton that night, long after sunset I walked the few blocks, took a shower and settled into bed. A perfect August evening, the windows open, it was dead calm and still outside. In the distance I heard #315 simmering and cooling down, the engine crew tending to her. It could have been Silverton 100 years ago at that moment, the way things used to be.
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The following day, riding Goose #5 to Durango. Only a handful of photographers, the number equaled the crew. Larry Spencer and the D&S pilot gave us free rein to call the shots; the runby locations, hitting obscure and different spots. Even letting us pose them in timeless poses. Thank you!
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A few days earlier, I was riding Eureka #4; on a siding awaiting the uphill Presidential train to pass. Being at the right place at the right time with the camera preset; it’s good to be lucky. Not staged, it just happened before my eyes.
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Ok, I can’t count; here are three more:
Still at Railfest, riding the Silver Vista in the rain with Jeff Taylor, amazing mountain scenery and conversation. Months later Jeff invited me out to Knott’s while I was on vacation in SoCal, where the RGS is very much alive.
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At an ungodly hour of a Sunday morning at the East Broad Top’s fall spectacular, meeting Jim from Boilersaver - he letting me catch the chemist in action. Early bird gets the worm; it was just he, #15 and myself.
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The best for last, WW&F’s spring first steam-up. I had the great privilege of meeting Julius, Alna Center’s 92-year young Station Agent. I put the camera down and sat with him for hours, hanging on his every word. I let him talk, and oh can he tell stories. I swear somewhere along the way he did some modeling; a natural in front of the camera. He brought my Hamilton Railway Standard pocket watch to life, back to that better vanished time.
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Headed into 2011 we are blessed to have narrow gauge steam running strong in Colorado, New Mexico, California, Pennsylvania, and Maine. Thank you to everyone who keeps the window to the past open for us.
Matthew
