Re: 487 - the entire saga......

.....from my timebooks. This isn't as exciting as the brizzard of 1952, but here we go.
The storm moved in on the night of Tues, Sept 23.
On Wed Sept 24,1986 I had been called to drive over to Antonito to run westbound, but the highway was a mess so the van service was cancelled and everyone did a round trip to Osier.
Wed Sept 24
In 745am (crossed out)
VAN CANCELLED
Osier Turn
in 900am
Tr #2
487 - R Fischer
11 cars
Snowing Hard all day.
Tr #3
484 - R. Fischer
11 cars & 0504 and 05635
headlight BO, hydrostsatic Lubericator sightglass leaks.
out 500pm
8 hrs
(Dick this is the pic you have of plowless 487 in the snow at Cumbres with Russ running.
The storm continued and intensified during the night. The next morning the roads were again bad and Osier reported blizzard whiteout conditions "you really don"t want to run to Osier today..." So we ran Cumbres Turns from Chama and Sublette Turns from Antonito. 487 is stuck on the east end with 1/2 a gon of coal to keep her alive.
Thurs Sept 23
in 900am
Tr #2
Cumbres Turn
488 - R. Fischer
10 cars
left cab door missing glass
L inj broke twice on hill
X488W
488 - R. Fischer
10 cars
R-4 journal hot
L Front sander not hitting rail
bottom tri-cock stuck closed.
out 3pm
6 hours
That night it dumped abput 2 feet of snow on Cumbres and about 10 inches in Chama. Cumbres & Sublette Turns again today.
Fri Sept 26
in 900am
Cumbres Turn
#2
484 - Anderson
10 cars
stuck in snow @ Coxo xing. drop train, plow to Cumbres, water, return to train, pull to Cumbres.
2 hr delay.
X484W
484- Anderson
10 cars
L clearview window broken, sanders plugged with snow, staybolt leaking on leftside inside firebox.
out 500pm
8hrs.
487 is about out of coal, so the next day we ran a doubleheader to Cumbres. Here the helper cut off and took an outfit car and caboose to Antonito, traded off with 487 and brought 487 back to Chama. I should point out the FRA did not consider us under Hours Of Service back then...
Sat Sept 27
in 900am
Cumbres Turn
#2
489 - M Fischer, 484 - R.Fischer helper
17 cars incl 0503 and 04982
rear sanders don't work,
bell ringer BO,
safety valves leak badly,
bad pound on left side.
flanger plumbing disconnected
Ind brake sets to 55 lbs.
X489W
489 - M Fischer
15 cars.
derail pony truck on frog on Cumbres wye switch
30 min delay.
cab aparon badly bent,
boiler jacket falling apart on rt side (489 was a mess)
out 400pm
7hrs
Marty and myself weren't done for the day. At 700pm I get a call that 487 was heading west from Antonito and could we hogcatch the crew at Cumbres? So.....
Sat Sept 27 cont.
in 1115pm
Hog Catching Crew
deadhead to Cumbres by van
X487W
487 - M Fischer
04982 & 0503
rt water glass partly plugged, no back up light.
out 145am 9/28
2 1/2 hrs
That night the skys cleared, the wind stopped and the next day things went back to normal(?).
We had weather issues the rest of the season. the van service got cancelled 9/29 and 10/3. Then on the afternoon of Oct 11 another big storm came in. Sunday morning, everything was coated with 3" of ice - crossings, switch frogs, platforms, etc. We annulled the whole works for the day. As this was the last day of the season, we packed it in for the year. That afternoon 487 brought the deadhead move in from Antonito in a whiteout blizzard.