Re: My first Trowbridge charter in 1986

John West Wrote:
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> Here is a link to a few pix from 1986, my first
> Trowbridge charter....and my first visit to Chama
> in 14 or so years. I notice the engineer has
> already acquired a bowler, I thought that came
> later.
>
> [url=https://chasingtrains.smugmug.com/Narrow-Gaug
> e-Memories/Life-after-death/My-most-recent-visits/
> CTS-September-1986/]September 1986[/url]
>
> The more I dig in to this stuff, find old pix, and
> try to find info to go with the pix, I realize
> this is going to be a long term project.
>
> JBWX

1986 was I believe the first "year of the derby". Jim did two trains back to back, a couple of days apart. The National Narrow Gauge Convention was in Denver that year and he organized a charter train for the convention goers. The convention trip was a doubleheaded mixed train with box car coaches to accommodate a couple of hundred passengers. He put on his first "Freight Special" a day or two earlier using the same freight consist, but no rider boxcars. I remember the big highlight of the trip (to me) was derailing 487's pilot truck heading into the seldom used siding at Sublette to meet the eastbound passenger train. We had to set the big, heavy Nolan rerailers under the cylinders of the engine. Marty Fischer was my fireman. She was the hero of the day as she could fit over the switch rails and under the cylinders to position the frogs where they were needed.