Earl,
I'll always have fond memories of May 1981. In late winter or early spring, 1981, I had applied for a job at the D&S. I actually had an interview with Jim Mayer, but after several weeks went by with no response, I figured they weren't interested, so I continued my job at the C&TS overhauling the 489 which was soon to be returned to service. I was on the crowded platform in Durango for the Memorial Day weekend and saw Jim Mayer close by. He looked like he wanted to say something to me but didn't. However, the following Friday, back home in Chama, I got a call from Jim offering me a job as student engineer starting at 7:00 AM the next day, Saturday. After a few microseconds, I accepted and packed a bag. On Saturday I reported for work and found I was to start training immediately to replace Paul Connor, who was going to have to return to his job in Pueblo with the D&RGW in a few days or risk losing his seniority there. In the cab that day also was Richard Connor, Paul's younger brother who had just hired on a few days earlier as student fireman.
My wife and I had rented a room at the Caboose Motel on North Main, our first home in Durango. In the following days, while I "played trains" , as my wife used to call it, she and my five year old son began scouring Durango for a rental house, eventually finding a small 2-bedroom on 8th Avenue near 8th Street. Within a couple weeks, my sister and her husband and two kids were passing through Durango on their way to Yellowstone when the fuel pump on their Audi failed on the climb to Silverton. The car was towed back to Durango and the family moved in with us while waiting for a new fuel pump to arrive, hopefully within the week. Meantime, Rich Braden was hired on at the D&S and needed a temporary place to stay, so he also moved in. Within a day or two, Russ Fischer was also hired on at the D&S, and he also needed a temporary place so he moved in, too. The place was like a hippie crash pad from the late 1960's. But, it was an exciting time, and we were all happy.
Mark
