Re: A freezing morning for the Silverton Appreciation Train

The early days of the Appreciation Day train under Bradshaw were fun and truly a thank you from Bradshaw to the communities. And his fare was only $5. But Silverton was still a mining town that enjoyed a party. Bradshaw was a bit straight laced and expected people to stay put in their seats and didn't expect the party atmosphere that happened especially coming back from Durango. Drinking was very heavy in the last car, an open gon. I recall a county commissioner who had to be carried off the train, others who were none too steady. And there was the train that was mooned at Hermosa by about 25 people from Silverton and Bradshaw was following the train in his car and witnessed the show. His reaction was to cancel the train for several years as punishment but by 1991 the mine closed and most of the mining element moved away. Things changed, the train sold, and the prevailing attitude was that nothing happened that didn't generate a profit. The appreciation day train didn't turn a profit so it was done away with within a few years.