Wayne,
Bottom photo - This is indeed a switching (shunting) maneuver at Carbon Junction. Look closely at the photo, and you can see a brakeman on the rear steps of the box car. Possibly (probably) a Farmington Turn. A general run-down of what's happening.
The locomotive left the yard in Durango with a five car train consisting of three flats with corrugated culvert on them, a box car, and a caboose. Note the caboose is carrying marker lamps, so this is a train, and not just a switching cut. Approaching Carbon Junction, the engineer gave the crew at the rear of the train enough slack to lift the pin and uncouple the caboose, then he widened on the throttle and pulled ahead, leaving the more slowly rolling caboose to follow. Presumably, when the box car has cleared the west (north) switch of the passing track at Carbon Junction, the abbreviated train will slow enough so the brakeman on the box car can get off, and throw the switch to line it for the passing track. He will wait there, and allow the caboose to roll onto the passing track, and couple onto the standing cars of Farmington bound freight left there by a previous westbound freight. Someone - probably the conductor on the caboose is controlling the speed with the hand brake, so as not to hit the standing cars too fast. The brakeman will re-line the switch for the main track and lock it after the caboose has safely crossed it.
The locomotive and four cars continue to the east (south) switch of the passing track, and pull clear. The head end brakeman throws the switch, and the locomotive backs the four cars up to couple with the other end of the cut of Farmington bound cars left there by an earlier westbound freight. The locomotive will pump the air up, and pull the complete train off the passing track. The head brakeman lines the switch at Carbon Junction for the Farmington branch, and the train heads south. The rear end brakeman will line and lock the east (south) passing track switch for the main track; then line and lock the Carbon Junction switch for the Alamosa main line. The freight heads south on the Farmington branch.
Charlie
CVM
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