Earl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 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.
This one is listed as a June 1968 trip. Neat footage and I love the scene near the end where you see the engineer on 483 kicked back with his feet up. I assume he has the throttle where he wants it and is just droning along letting 493 run the show.
[
youtu.be]
William
aka drgwk37
