Re: 50 Years Ago In Chama 5-30-1957

This was an incredible time to watch the NG. Trains were run as fast as they could be transfered to Alamosa and unloaded in Farmington.
On the Durango end you can bet the Farmington Crew was on duty and waiting at Carbon Junction for the westbound to show.
I think during this time they set a record in that a string of pipe loads/idlers made from Alamosa to Farmington, unloaded, then returned to Alamosa in something like 56 hours. That included double the train up Cumbres. The Durango crew was called in Chama when the train left Cumbres. They were on duty when the helper rolled in. They swapped cabooses and locomotives, are were out of Chama in less than 2 hours. At Ignacio they called the Farmington Crew, who were waiting at Carbon Jct. when they rolled off the hill. The loads went south, and were picked up on the next Farmington Turn and brought north. The Durango crew headed for Chama met them at Carbon Jct, the Alamosa crew waa on duty when they hit Chama. The Alamosa crew had the first half of the train headed up the hill in 90 minutes. The second half head out 4 1/2 hours later. the whole train was in Alamosa 16 hours after it hit Chama.
Kick-ass narrow gauge railroading.
I imagine the above didn't work out that way very often. I'm guessing the trains left Chama on the crew's rest.