Big country, nice light, small train, and roof riding
| April 19, 2021 11:34AM |
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In poking through some old slides I rediscovered this image which I had previously ignored because I had a closer view of the train on the bridge. But decided this was "purdy". This was back in November 1973 on the Ferrocarriels de Guatemala (ex-IRCA) between Rancho and Guatemala City. My old friend Gordon is in the engineers seat for the runby.
If you look carefully above you will note brakemen on the roof tops. Another post discussed riding the boxcar roofs. That was regular practice on Fegua, and indeed railfans were usually welcomed. I can remember discussing a photostop with the Jefe de Trenes in the baggage car, and he said come on let's go talk to the engineer and headed for the vestibule door. I gulped, but machismo took over and I followed him up the ladder, onto the roof, jumped between several boxcars, and with an ever bigger gulp jumped from the front boxcar down to the tender deck. But what was a REAL thrill was when you unexpectedly came to a high bridge.
That guy on the second boxcar must have nerves of steel.
JBWX
If you look carefully above you will note brakemen on the roof tops. Another post discussed riding the boxcar roofs. That was regular practice on Fegua, and indeed railfans were usually welcomed. I can remember discussing a photostop with the Jefe de Trenes in the baggage car, and he said come on let's go talk to the engineer and headed for the vestibule door. I gulped, but machismo took over and I followed him up the ladder, onto the roof, jumped between several boxcars, and with an ever bigger gulp jumped from the front boxcar down to the tender deck. But what was a REAL thrill was when you unexpectedly came to a high bridge.
That guy on the second boxcar must have nerves of steel.
JBWX
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.