John West Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am going to guess the answer to my question is
> October 9, 1967. The limit for doubleheading from
> Antonito to Cumbres was 1400 tons. The last
> really big westbound train run on the narrow gauge
> was operated on that date, according to data
> compiled by Earl Knoob. It was only 1335 tons,
> but I'm guessing that was close enough to the
> limit that they would have cut the helper in at
> Antonito. But that is just a guess on my part.
> The last westbound train over 1400 tons was on
> 10/2. Earl do you have more info?
>
> Earl's data also shows the 497 was last used by
> the DRGW on 12/21/67 hauling four boxcars of drill
> mud to Farmington and returning cab hop to
> Durango. It was stored serviceable after that.
>
> JBWX
I am staring at a calendar on my kitchen wall. I has a real nice pic of a westbound D&RGW freight train at the San Miguel road crossing between Big Horn and Sublette. Photo was taken on June 13, 1968. 493 is on the point, 483 is cut in as mid-train helper.
This was probably the last mid-train helper run. The train was 46 cars long including:1 flat of cylinder ends, 7 box of drilling mud, 5 flats of short pipe, 15 cars of long pipe and 17 idler flats. Tonnage was around 1400 tons.
497 was last used in Dec. 1967.
It went west to Chama on 12/5 with 25 cars (9 cars of lumber, 8 cars of coal, 6 empty flats.
On 12/6 it returned to Durango (last time in Chama) with 26 cars of drill mud, 4 cars of pipe. 4 cars of mud were set out in Gato as the train was over tonnage.
12/7 Farmington Turn. 22 cars of mud and 4 cars of pipe south, 15 empty boxcars going north to Durango.
There was to be a train to Chama in mid-Dec. with 497 and 473, along with a train from Alamosa, but they were annulled because of a storm over Cumbres. 497 then ran as a caboose hop from Durango to Gato on 12/20 to pick up the 4 cars of drill mud set out there on 12/6. 497 derailed at the crossing at Falfa because of ice in the flangeways. 473 we still in steam in Durango, and ran to the rescue to help rerail 497. The rerailing was accomplished in short order. 473 returned to Durango, 497 went on to Gato and returned with the 4 cars.
12/27 497 ran to Farmington with 4 cars of mud, returned as a caboose hop.
