It's fun to get the dusty old stuff out occasionally.
Interestingly, I can't find anything in the special instructions governing the placement of the second engine on TWO engine trains going up Cumbres. Doubleheading up Marshall Pass was specifically prohibited. And the trainorders I have do not mention engine placement on Cumbres turns. Perhaps there was something in timetable bulletins. In any event, I never saw a two engine train doublehead....and unfortunately was not lucky enough to see a three engine train ever.....except when John Craft did it in '92.
My train orders from 1960 betweeen Chama and Durango specifically authorize two engine trains to run all the way through with two engines "coupled". Starting in 1961 the orders betweeen Chama and Durango have the second engine helping from Chama to Azotea, running seperately from Azotea to Gato, helping from Gato to MP443, and running seperately from MP 443 to Durango. Rule 19-F in the 1961 timetable prohibits doubleheading on descending grades.....seems to me Earl mentioned they had a problem doubleheading downhill around that time, thus the change in practice. Interesting that they were still learning how to do it in 1960.
I noticed in the October 1965 timetable that the condition for cutting in helpers between Antonito and Cumbres had been restated from 35 cars to 1400 tons.
The old wooden frames were clearly getting to be a problem in the 60's. It was not unusual to see cars set out along the line with pulled drawbars.
Regarding snow plows....seems to me it would be tough to get the plows across the bridge without an engine....suspect they didn't have a choice on that one.
In the busy days, eastbound trains typically made THREE turns up Cumbres. On day one the Alamosa crews would make two turns, setting out the cars on the long south siding, and then spend the night in Chama (at the Shamrock....the Durango crews stayed at Fosters so Bob tells me). On day two they would take the third cut up to Cumbres, assemble the three cuts into what was usually close to a 70 car train, the helper would run light ahead of the train to Alamosa, and then the 70 car train with one engine would drift down the grade slowly. It was great. The U.S. was putting men into space, and the narrow gauge was still railroad the way it had been done for 100 years.
And the amazing thing is, we can still do it in 2000.
