Big day on the D&SNG

Three trains . Photographers' Extra 473(still sporting the Party Paint Job,lettered "Denver and Rio Grande Western")left early ,with beautiful little caboose 0500 on the end . The painter of all this beautiful equipment ,Jeff Ellingson , fired the special with veteran Espee engineer Mike Nichols .Train 461 left town headed by 480 .Train 463 left with 478 and 486 coupled ,with 500+ passengers . Weather was sparkling ,and colors were strong among the aspen around Silverton . The double header ran into an empty tank at Tank Creek ,but a little manhandling of the headgate by engineer Steve Otten at the lovely dam above loosened the detritus and water flowed . Yours truly and Floppo were on old 478 ,its first trip since July .All trains were all close to being sold out .