Re: Charter The Caboose

Hi,

I still have brochures from the C&TS in the 1990s where 05635 (I called it the railfan caboose - no luxuries other than a private toilet) could be rented for $390 per day Chama to Osier and back.

I ended up chartering the caboose some 7-8 times during the 1990s. Earl offered me 0503 one time and I wished I'd taken it. One time John Bush helped out when I found the 05635 was not reserved. He said that as long as it did not require adding a helper, I could rent the caboose. Thanks guys for such a great time.

The idea was to allow many people to be able to charter the caboose and get the feel of it. Sometime after Kyle, the fares were changed to being the cost to haul it up the mountain basically and it ended up being over $1000.00 per round trip. From a business sense, it was a better way to charge for it.

One thing I considered doing but was never able to arrange was to charter one of the pineapples and 04635 for a trip to Lobato and back or maybe Cumbres and back.

The memories of 05635 on the regular passenger train are wonderful.

Doug vV