56 Years Ago Today - 493 and 483 on last Flanger-Spreader run

56 years ago today, on January 25, 1966, my friend Nguyen and I were following twin volcanoes erupting clouds of steam and smoke between Alamosa and Antonito. All magnified by the -28 F temperature. Having re-scanned all of the photos of that day from the original negatives, I decided to give them another shot even though many have been posted previously from scans of Kodacolor prints. This set focuses on Antonito to the Whiplash, since I posted some Alamosa - Antonito scenes not that long ago.





The Flanger-Spreader outfit consisted of 493, 483, flanger, spreader, flat car with bulldozer, box car of equipment, and 3 cabooses



Antonito became a longer stop, as both engines were watered and coaled, the flanger was switched between 493 and 483, and the crew had breakfast at the Dutch Mill cafe.

Here the engines have dropped the work train, pulled ahead with the flanger and set it out on the siding. 483 is moving back to the Red Devil coal loader, and 493 has retrieved the flanger and is pulling forward to the main. Nguyen caught a significantly younger version of me with my camera.