Re: Clean #493 at Aunty-Neato & Cumbres, 1968

drgwk37 Wrote:
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> Nice set of photos and 1964 was the last year the
> line was kept open all year. Thanks for sharing.


Open through December, anyway -

IIRC, 1963-64 was the last time the line was kept open through the winter.  The Oriental Refinery in Alamosa burned in September, 1964.  Without the regular oil traffic, business wasn't heavy enough to justify keeping the line open once the heavy snows came the following winter.  Per Ernie Robart, "In January, 1965, the Rio Grande suspended further trains until May — it was the first winter since 1880 that, except for snow blockades, the pass had been closed."

- Roosso

p.s.  Here are a couple of Ernie's photos of #493, taken the last time she operated over Cumbres Pass.

With her smokebox freshly painted (and a little overspray on her jacket), a clean #493 pauses in Antonito before leading her last westbound train through the two tunnels and over Cumbres Pass on July 17, 1968:

Photo Copyright © 1968, 2003 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.

Late in the morning of the following day, with #483 shoving from behind, #493 approaches Windy Point with the only Cumbres Turn of 1968 — twelve empty boxcars and seven flats with loads from Skyline Lumber in Chama:

Photo Copyright © 1968, 2003 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.

The two engines returned to Chama, and that afternoon brought eleven carloads of lumber from Durango to the top of the pass.  #483 ran ahead while #493 assembled the two sections into one train and then followed her helper home to Alamosa.  The whole shebang was less than half as long as the eastbound train shown in John West's fabulous "Ansel Adams" foto at [chasingtrains.smugmug.com].



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2018 11:18AM by Russo Loco.