Rio Grande Southern 41 on DSNG break-in runs Nov 17,18,19 - 2023
| November 20, 2023 09:14PM |
November 17-16-19 2023 were three wonderful days to see Rio Grande Southern 2-8-0 number 41 in action on the Silverton branch. These were break-in runs after a full overhaul by the DSNG shops under contract with Knott's Berry Farm. It was the first time in more than 70 years that engine 41 could operate at full power and at speed and show what she was capable of.
My interest in RGS 41 goes back a long time - 65 years - to my first encounter with the engine at Knotts Berry Farm in the summer of 1958. She was my first meet with a D&RGW/RGS narrow gauge engine. That encounter happened on a most roundabout way. That summer I was on a week long trip with the Scouts to Big Lake in Arizona (south of Springerville in the Apache -Sitgreaves Natl. Forest). My family were to pick me up at the end of the week on their drive from Alamogordo to Los Angeles where my dad was to attend a class at UCLA for the Air Force. That didn't work out as planned, as one of the Scouts needed medical treatment, and our group returned to Alamogordo early. So I ended up back in Alamogordo when my parents arrived at Big Lake. My parents then arranged for me to ride Southern Pacific train 3, the Golden State, to Los Angeles - a rare mileage trip over the long-abandoned El Paso Southwestern route through Columbus and Douglas that was then used for westbound trains.
Naturally during our stay at Seal Beach, we visited Knott's Berry Farm and encountered RGS 41 pulling trains around the loop. That is me giving those boys the time of day.
In the intervening years I got to see RGS 41 a number of times. I was aware of RGS 41's overhaul in Durango, and was seriously hoping to see 41 on a break-in run. The video of 41 posted on the NGDF in the evening of November 16 was a spur for immediate action, and Jack and I left for Durango early in the morning of Friday, November 17. After some challenges related to a lack of information, I happened to meet Jerry Day near the DSNG gate and everything went as hoped - actually better than I could have hoped.
It was pretty exciting to see 41 come steaming out of the DSNG yard. On this day 41 was to run light engine to Rockwood.
.
My interest in RGS 41 goes back a long time - 65 years - to my first encounter with the engine at Knotts Berry Farm in the summer of 1958. She was my first meet with a D&RGW/RGS narrow gauge engine. That encounter happened on a most roundabout way. That summer I was on a week long trip with the Scouts to Big Lake in Arizona (south of Springerville in the Apache -Sitgreaves Natl. Forest). My family were to pick me up at the end of the week on their drive from Alamogordo to Los Angeles where my dad was to attend a class at UCLA for the Air Force. That didn't work out as planned, as one of the Scouts needed medical treatment, and our group returned to Alamogordo early. So I ended up back in Alamogordo when my parents arrived at Big Lake. My parents then arranged for me to ride Southern Pacific train 3, the Golden State, to Los Angeles - a rare mileage trip over the long-abandoned El Paso Southwestern route through Columbus and Douglas that was then used for westbound trains.
Naturally during our stay at Seal Beach, we visited Knott's Berry Farm and encountered RGS 41 pulling trains around the loop. That is me giving those boys the time of day.
In the intervening years I got to see RGS 41 a number of times. I was aware of RGS 41's overhaul in Durango, and was seriously hoping to see 41 on a break-in run. The video of 41 posted on the NGDF in the evening of November 16 was a spur for immediate action, and Jack and I left for Durango early in the morning of Friday, November 17. After some challenges related to a lack of information, I happened to meet Jerry Day near the DSNG gate and everything went as hoped - actually better than I could have hoped.
It was pretty exciting to see 41 come steaming out of the DSNG yard. On this day 41 was to run light engine to Rockwood.
.
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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.