Re: 463 - Durango Mixed Consist

1952 was a bad year for the Silverton Branch. The previous winter had blockaded the Branch for months. The last run of the weekly Silverton Mixed was Dec. 26, 1951. After what seemed like months of snow, snowslides, snow bucking, derailed engines, etc., spring finally came. The weekly mixed managed to run for the last 3 weeks of May using plow equipped 463. In early June melted snow and washed out the RR in several places. My copy of the Durango call book dated 12/20/51 to 8/8/52 show several work trains on the Silverton Branch in June and early July, but trains 461-462 do not appear until July 23, 1952.

FYI: 473 - Buchanan/Degani, 478 - J. Connor/Rhodes, Con. Lyons, Bkm R. Murray, S. Connor, Jr (George Connor).

After that it seems to run regularly twice a week with a mixture of 463, 473 (fresh from ALA after getting dunked in the Animas the summer before), 476 and 478. There was also a doubleheaded extra with 463 and 473 on 7/29/52. The mine up in Silverton was still running and shipping on the RR and probably was starving for empty cars after being cut off all year.