Re: Picture - information request

Earl Wrote:
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> Might be an Illini RR Club trip. They did at
> least one that was pulled east by 483, and helped
> up Cumbres by487.

John Briggs' record album "Rio Grande To Silverton" has a recording of the 1960 Illini trip doubleheaded up Cumbres behind 487 and 483. On the inside of the jacket sleeve is a full page shot of the train going into the curve at Coxo. There is a reefer behind 483. Riggs seems to have recorded the entire album in the spring of 1960. He also recorded and produced a rather limited release record of the 1959 RMRRC trip with a some freight action included. However, the 1959 recordings are done on mono, and the 1960 recordings are recorded in stereo.

Riggs also recorded the 1960 RMRRC trip behind 478-473 from on board the train in stereo.

I'm putting money on the pic is the 1960 Illini trip.

The Grande Gold boxcars appeared in 1963 with the Rio GrandeLand project. After they were painted, I've never seen them anywhere but in Durango and on the Silverton Branch.

Any fan trips operated after 1963 had at least 2 of the new 330-series steel cars in the consist, usually on the head end.

Not to be forgotten is the fact that local service organizations also ran specials on the narrow gauge, some of which had interesting itineraries. One of my favorites was the Farmington chamber of Commerce special that did a round trip from Farmington to Silverton and back to Farmington. I don't have a date for that one.