Re: D&S 476

OK, Memory lane time.

Back in 1995 I spent a week in Colorado riding trains after my first wife had passed - I really needed some time off! I rode the C&TS and the Silverton and was spending a couple of days just chasing the five trains in and out of Durango each day. They were still running the Cascade Canyon night train and I was out chasing that one night and was watching the people on the caboose and how neat that car looked at night with the oil light inside and the markers lit. There were eight or so people aboard the 0500 that night and the accomodations didn't look all that comfortable with the crowd but I decided that I would ride the caboose the next night. So I went and bought my ticket for the caboose and chased trains all day and showed up at the depot at train time. Seems there was only one rider. Me. I had the caboose all to myself for the whole trip.

And guess who was on the point? 476 herself, my old friend. I rode the conductor's desk and the cupola and the back platform and just thoroughly soaked up the narrow gauge that evening.

On the trip back there was a brilliant full moon. As long as I live I will never forget the moonlight on the river and the gorge, the soft exhaust of the 476 as she brought her short train up the slight grade from the Tacoma Narrows bridge to Rockwood, or the glow of the sky as the fireman opened the box to add more coal. Just me and the 0500 and the 476. That year was the last time I saw her under steam and that run was one of my most memorable moments on the narrow gauge.