Re: Alamosa September 15 1965

"Depart Chama 9:25 AM with 24 empties
Arrive Cumbres time not shown, 35 minutes set out train, pick up spreader
Depart Cumbres time not shown, westbound, backing down grade
Working eastbound MP 319 to MP 315 2 hours 45 minutes spreading dirt
Arrive back Cumbres, 10 minutes turn spreader and engines
Extra 493 west with helper engine 492 and spreader depart Cumbres time not shown
MP 338 to Chama 1 hour spread dirt
Arrive Chama 7:00 PM with 2 empties"

OK I'm confused.....no smart comments....

"Depart Cumbres time not shown. westbound, backing down grade....."

translation: then engines after arriving at Cumbres, were not turned on the wye, and are backing down the hill , westbound toward Chama.


"Working eastbound MP 319 to MP 315 2 hours 45 minutes spreading dirt."

OK, 319 is across the valley from Osier, 315 is just east of Rock Tunnel - all of which is EAST of Cumbres. ??????

Arrive back Cumbres, 10 minutes turn spreader and engines
Extra 493 west with helper engine 492 and spreader depart Cumbres time not shown
MP 338 to Chama 1 hour spread dirt
Arrive Chama 7:00 PM with 2 empties"

We arrive back at Cumbres with the engines facing east, turn the whole works and head down the hill to Chama, westbound, spreading dirt between mp 338 west of Cresco to Chama.

So..... did we arrive at Cumbres, turn and back the spreader outfit EAST to 315-319, run forward to Cumbres? If so, did we turn it again and BACK down the hill to Chama and move dirt?

Weird Deal. I understand the spreader has to be coupled to the tender of the engine for the air connection, and you would want the spreader facing the correct way in order to move the dirt in the right direction. But this is a brain squeezer. Things like this make realize why is was simply the engineer. All I had to do was go forward, backward or stop. The conductor figured out the rest.......