Re: RGS Train Order #2

From what I have been able to learn from train registers and talking to retired D&RGW men who worked the pass, the D&RGW did not run "turns" out of Salida to the summit the way they did on the west side our of Sargents. The west bound trains were mostly empty gons going back to the mines and a couple of 480s or 490s could handle all the cars in one train. Perry rode in a gon in one in 1940 and it was a very long train (I don't think he got a car count). The newspapers would report helper crews being assigned to Sargets. Some times of the year, they would have no helpers at Sargents and everything would be run out of Gunnison or Salida. When the coal and stock traffic picked up, the D&RGW would assign a couple of engines and crews and the papers would report it. Sometime in the late 30s or early 40s, the roundhouse and turntable were removed and I don't think helpers were ever based at Sargents again. Guess it was just easier to base the engines at Gunnison and run them back after the "turns" were completed.