Re: Fast Light Engine Movements Across the C&TS

Running at "timetable speed", the speed which we ran the passenger trains across the railroad, the non-stop running time was 4:45. You could legally cheat that a bit, and get over the road in 4:30 as there was a speed limit of 15mph for everything east of Cumbres as far as Furgeson's bridge, then 22 mph into Antonito. However timetable speed for the run was less than that. For instance the timetable speed from Cumbres to Osier was only 12 mph, and from Osier to Sublette was 13 mph. So, even allowing for the permanent slow orders of Cascade Creek and Rock Tunnel, you could cut 5 minutes off each section if you hustled. A light engine would get through the slow orders much faster than a 20-car train, cutting time even more.

From Chama to Cumbres, the speed limit was 12 mph, in deference to the 4% grade - especially going down the hill. Going up was a different story. I remember zooming up Cumbres in 55 minutes with a late-running light engine move for a movie job. Some guys would drop helpers down the hill in an hour, which I thought was a bit too fast, 1:05 was as fast as I would allow.

The short answer is a light engine could hustle across the RR in about 4:15 if you hustled, and skipped getting water at Sublette.