Thanks Craig - I haven't really gone anywhere I guess, just haven't been as active, but at least I'm within driving distance now. Buying/fixing a house and a job definitely take a good chunk of my time (as will my soon to be bundle of joy), but trying to find more time to be involved now and I have my own two cars to care for - less the bodies/minds/experience of a Friends work crew, so a little slower...
Definitely let me know as you get closer to visiting the valley as I'd be happy to give you some clues and info to make the most of your searches - can also tell you where we didn't necessarily cover as well. Who knows - maybe there are some undiscovered gems still out there? We criss-crossed the valley relatively methodically, especially the 2nd and 3rd years we spent searching. I don't think we missed much but I do know one outfit car and one narrow frame tank car got overlooked on roads I know we went down that others found.
I've been tempted to try looking at some new areas, maybe around Salida and south and east of Durango (if I held out hope, I'd look around Longmont and Lyons for C&S cars, but I think too much time has passed to find anything really old or any of the other passenger cars that were sold up there). Just not as much bang for the buck as the valley for the time spent, but you never know - I found a 3000 series all the way out near Canon City and 2 nice 3000 series cars behind an antique shop in Salida. I'm also intrigued by some of the older carbodies that are in Lumberton and Flora Vista, Sargents, etc. that I've never closely looked at.
I have gone back to the valley twice in the past few years to check on my old finds. So far, only 1 reefer and 1 outfit car I believe have gone missing that I tried to relocate, and I'm not positive that I didn't miss the outfit car - not much changes in the valley except weathering over time. Besides about 150 3000 series, still about 15 of outfit cars in the valley, a couple stock cars, 2 or 3 of the 5900s, a handful of reefers (including 1 I think is a 40' car), a 27' converted B&S box (2635 I believe), a 24' B&S box (plus half of another) and another baggage car. It's enough to fill up a good chunk of a day just looking at them.
