Yesterday I was priveleged to ride the 30th Anniversery train from Chama to Osier and return as an invited guest. The doings were specifically set up to honor those of us who were around in the 1970 period. I much appreciated the recognition.
After two days of soaking rain, it was one of those special glorious fall days. The aspens have just begun to turn up high, and it looks like they may be very pretty this year. No sign of brown tinge on the leaves.
After a nice ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversery of the C&TS, the train left promptly at 10:30. Since it had been two years since I have ridden, I was very curious if all the work which has been done was apparent. It is. The three engines ran flawlessly, and all three were as square as a die.
The cars were clean and in good repair, and the crew was very professional.
The trackwork which has been done was quite apparent. The ride was much smoother and judging from the number of discarded ties, there has been considerable tie replacement done, even on the west side of Cumbres. Two years ago the stretch of track just west of the Cascade Creek trestle frankly scared the hell out of me. Now it is in good shape.
The food at Osier was good, with ample servings, and it was efficiently served. No complaints there.
We departed Osier on time and arrived back in Chama as scheduled.
The passenger load was light, but that's to be expected this time of year. It's right after Labor Day, and the aspens are not ripe yet. I expect that things will get busy again here shortly.
This was a special occasion for me personally as I got to see some of the old heads that I hadn't seen in 30 years. It certainly brought back a lot of memories. And there was a lot of conversations which included "Do you remember that day that..............". Everyone who was around in 1970 has their own little favorite story to tell. Great fun.
All in all, it was a most enjoyable trip. Ed McLaughlin and his staff of the RGRPC are to be congratulated on the job they have done. They have almost accomplished miracles in a very short period. I look forward to bigger and better things coming along as the operation settles down. They certainly have a solid foundation to work off of.
All this being said, there is an indication of trouble brewing in River City (Chama). But I will opine on this in a posting on the Goat so that I don't cloud this report.
Keep up the good work, troops. And thanks for an enjoyable trip.
Chile John
