Silverton Freight (was: Re: Alamosa December 4 1948)

Greg Scholl Wrote:
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> Lastly on the Silverton train, it was a mixed
> train, and what I want to know was (a) when idid
> it become a mixed train, and when did it really
> become more of a tourist train. Also when was the
> last real freight handled in Rio Grande days?
>
Well, it became mostly a tourist train after either Feb 18th(mine closed, train ordered to fill to capacity with empty boxes at Silverton) or March 19th (Train annulled until Tourist season) of 1953.
Can you define "real" freight? I remember seeing a "real" boxcar (IE: a red one, not one of the two yellow "stealth" cars) on the 2nd section when I rode it in 1974. I also remember at least one of the yellow ones the last time I rode it under the Grande (1978.)
hank