Re: More questions raised

Greg Scholl Wrote:
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> So Martin had two scenes at Monero with 498. Even
> though one was color and one was Black and White I
> am thinking these may have been taken on the same
> run. So here are my questions on the topic.
> (1) The 498 is facing east correct?
> (2) Where was the water tank in relation to the
> coal tipple?
> (3) Was this a light engine move, or was the
> engine uncoupled from the train to take water and
> coal(Seems unlikely ?
> (4) If this was a light engine move would they
> really need coal coming from Chama or Durango?
>

> My speculation is that perhaps near the end in
> 1968. I believe Earl mentioned a run where the
> engine ran to Chama after a long day's run and had
> to drop cars along the way due to the weeds. Then
> it returned to Durango. So perhaps it made it to
> Chama and topped off Coal at Monero if there was
> little in the Chama Coal Tipple. Any clues as to
> when these shots might have been taken..... rivet
> counter time!!!
> Greg
>
> PS Thanks for posting Martin.

The coal chute and water tank shots are from different times. The coal chute shot is in the morning (or on that later), the water tank in the afternoon. The coal chute shot shows a real grubby 498 with a black smokebox, the water tank shows recent paint on the smokebox and fire box.

In later years, trains were rarely eastbound at Monero in the morning, which is when the coal chute pic was taken. Now, Greg, I have this real nice dvd that some guy put out about the last year the Grande ran freights between Alamosa and Durango. It mentions an episode where 498 went east with a train in July 1968, stalled in the weeds numerous times, and had other mechanical problems. Not mentioned was a broken spring hanger and a hot driving box being the problems. The crew tied up for the night over at Arboles, then continued east to Chama the next morning. They stalled again in the canyon below Monero and either reduced tonnage at Monero or doubled the hill. Not sure. At any rate they were short on coal and stopped to fill the coal bunker at Monero. The story goes, that the fireman climbed up on the tender opened the chute and the only thing that came out was some dust and a dead cat.....

Maybe you have seen that DVD, Greg?

These guys were having bad couple of days. They pretty much ran out of coal before getting to Chama and staggered into town with about 90 lbs of steam.

Further legend (story from the rear end brakeman) says the train stalled down in the canyon, and they cut the train leaving the rear brakeman to flag. Well, they had had a good party in the caboose the night before in Arboles and most of the crew was seriously hung over. The rear brakeman figured that nothing would be out on the railroad behind them, so he laid down on a bunk to sleep it off. There was a loud BANG that woke him up. Little did he know that MW02 with the roadmaster aboard was following them in just in case they had more problems. Well, now they had even more problems. The impact broke the distributor off the Mercury Flathead V-8 on the MW02 and they had to figure out how to fit that, or tow it to Chama. I think if just got left out in the middle of nowhere, to be scavenged by the new C&TS a few years later.