Olaf Rasmussen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
. . . Surprisingly, 484 made a stop at La Jara and
> took a fill of water at the small La Jara tank. It is
> the only time I ever witnessed an eastbound train
> stopping at the tank
. . .
IIRC, Olaf -
The tank in Antonito had frozen during the previous winter and would no longer hold water. Engines could still take water there, but only as fast as water flowed through the tank when the fill pipe was turned on. This wasn't a problem if a westbound freight was stopped for a while anyway while switching the helper from the front to the middle or rear of the train (and often for the crew to get lunch), but would delay an eastbound a lot longer than a quick drink at La Jara.
Just two months later, helper #498 appears to be sitting still and popping off while waiting for road engine #493 to fill up at La Jara in order to minimize the time needed to top off their tanks from the slow-flowing Antonito tank a few miles farther on
:
- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender