CHARLIE ATTEMPTED DEBUNK OF SECRET NG, NEEDS A DEBUNK
In the March/April 2007 issue of NG&SLG Charlie Getz attempts to make a story out of a rumor discussion on this internet forum. This is the Charlie who, in not too many past issues, spoke of the 4% grade on the RGS's Cima hill east of Mancos. First, this article needs a Debunk, or edit. The photo on page 90 top is not Antonito, but is the station at Santa Fe (a nice view), and is still existing. You don't debunk a rumor using the same participants in the initial development. You debunk it with confirm facts, such as a dated photo or original source record, or newspaper. The supposed paper with the article of the storage of abandonment rails at Antonito has not yet been presented. But one statement by Gordon of the scraping crew working through Tres Piedras in December 1941, may be the missing data. What we do know as a fact is that the D&RGW official track chart book has a map showing the Chili Line abandoned in 1941 and listing that the track was Removed in 1942! So far, this it the only official railroad publication with confirming data.
What Charlie's article fails to indicate is that Mr. R. W. Richardson, through various phone conversation, was very heavily on the side that the line might have been operated by the scrapping contractor under instructions from the government, but only from the Antonito end. Bob stressed that he had never heard from any of the Rio Grande men of its latent operation, but he also agreed that none of the union RR employees would have ever worked at the rate of pay any contractor would have paid them. Bob was very anxious to have seen any dated photos of the track removal between Espanola (Otowi) and Antonito. Note this spelling of the second photo on Page 90. Also note that the text is wrong to speak of any "Hallack, and Howard" at Tres Piedras. The correct data is that there were two logging spurs built west from the Chili line by R. W. Stewart & Co. Lumber Co. equal distance north and south of Tres Piedras, and that the Hallack & Howard Lumber Co. built a large sawmill at La Madera, 16.7 miles off the Chili Line.
The real villain in this entire story which just seem to be ignored is the publisher/editor Jim Eakin of the Short and Narrow Rails Magazine #51, for even printing this rumor. He claimed he had a inside Los Alamos "many Star" government officer who confirmed it was true, but failed to ever follow up. Who it was and what he really confirmed must still be secret war time information. I don't think this article has really debunk anything as you need fact to prove a point, not just interviews with the original parties of the disagreement. The photos were worth the laugh.
Guards never rode the "yellow cake" cars but they sure did ride the precious metal cars out of Pandora, but there are no photos of them on the top of the box cars. How would you tell the different from a brakeman working the roof? I worked the roof of NG box cars and have never seen my photo being up there fixing the valve. That no-photo thing does not prove anything.
