Re: Last westbound(s) with mid-train helper(s)?

Earl Wrote:
--------------------------------------------------
> I am staring at a calendar on my kitchen wall.  It
> 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 . . .


That settles it, Earl -

The July 13, 1968 train had to be the last run with a mid-train helper, as there were only two more revenue freights westbound over Cumbres.  Ernie's photos of the July 17 train show it was a double-header, not one with a mid-train or rear helper:

Photo copyright © 1968, 2018 by Ernest W. Robart - All Rights Reserved.

My photos of the August 28 westbound freight also show a double header, this time with two K-36 locomotives:


- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender

p.s.  The so-called 'Mad Dash' of May 28 was pulled from Alamosa to Cumbres by double-headed K-28's #476 and #478.  Per Ernie, on June 4th #493 pulled a 44-car freight from Alamosa to Chama.  I presume this train – like the one on June 13 – was heavy enough to justify moving helper #483 back to the middle or rear of the train, but I've never seen any photos of the June 4 westbound.

- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2018 01:26PM by Russo Loco.