Re: Chasing and riding the first two public trips on C&TS (1971)

On Sunday, July 4, 1971, we rode the first public C&TS run from Chama to Antonito with a bus return to Chama. This was a first experience riding one of the converted box cars. Not bad at all, even if not the height of comfort. At least it was a step up from the regular box car I had ridden in August 1966 when that particular Cumbres turn consisted entirely of empty box cars and offered no open end gons.

I am pretty sure that my mom found a clean converted car preferable to a regular box car with drill mud residue on the floor





One of the more drastic differences between July 1971 and today would be the approach into Osier - no yellow dining hall. The train made a photo runby at Osier, and it appears that my dad stayed on the train during the runby, capturing all the passengers scattered around Osier





The next day 484 made an Antonito-Cumbres roundtrip, while the family scattered, but not for long, as 3 weeks later the other family members Amtraked to Washington State for Helen's and my wedding In Richland.