Re: Narrow gauge operations in August 1966

August 16, 1966 continued

I caught the Cumbres turn with 492 and 483 not far out of Chama.The train was having problems with weeds and using a lot of sand. About half a mile above Dalton crossing the 492 started slipping incessantly. Each time 492 slipped there was thunderous slack action as the 483 picked up the load. Then 492 would open up and the slack action rippled the other way until 492 slipped and the slack action reversed. This back and forth slack action went on for some time until the engineer shut off 492 ( in disgust, I surmise, or perhaps in an attempt to avoid total destruction of the wooden cars). I expected the train to stall at this point, but to my amazement the 483 kept the train moving slowly by itself, pushing the whole train as well as the 492 up the 4 percent grade. After the train passed I went to inspect the rails - they were solid white from the sand laid down by the 483. In trying to make sense of this, I figured the 483 had been riding on 492's sand and could conserve it's own supply.


Watching the mayhem on this Cumbres turn I was joined by Ernie Robart and a railfan I had not met before, a fellow now best known as Russo Loco.


No pictures now -- I was back to shooting slides that have yet to be scanned.