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The Gals are back on the job!!! Breann and
Marbella!!! |
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Diesel 19 pauses at Lava, New Mexico while
snacks and drinks are passed out to our pre-school passengers on a
Special private train for Pre-school children from Conejos County!!!!! |
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How about a view of Antonito in Black &
White.... |
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Its May the 15th and as we promised, we are
running a private train for the Local Headstart Kids...
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I was on the Locomotive 19 and Sam was the Conductor
with two passenger coaches. |
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We took the kids for a ride from Antonito to Lava,
New Mexico and return..... I am just about 2 miles east of Lava... |
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We rolled the train around the Lava Loop so the kids
could see the water tank. |
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Now I am on the return trip with the first train...
as we passed the track crew at Lava, all the kids waved out the
windows to them... |
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We have returned to Antonito and the next train will
board in a few minute's, I really enjoyed being able to share the
train with all these kids... |
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Click Here For Video |
Looking back from Diesel 19
as the Private Passenger train prepares to descend Gravity Hill just
east of 290. |
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This is the second run of the day and soon we will
back up to Antonito with Sam riding the rear platform to be my
eyes.. |
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Backing thru Lava loop. |
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We are now just about to cross the border between the
state's and will then roll down Gravity Hill to Milepost 289. I am
glad to say the kids had a great time... |
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Machinery at its finest,
Thanks to Bob Steverson for these great shots.. |
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Well May the 18th we rolled the 053 Cook Car
right up to the shop to check the track... kind of a Historic
moment, soon the first car will be able to roll into the Car Repair
Shop. |
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Diesel 19 in front of the Car Repair Shop. |
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The Cook Car in front of the Shop in Antonito... |
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The weather was a little yucky, but I thought you
would still like to see these picture's. |
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From the inside looking out to the Cook Car. |
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You can see the freshly poured cement between the
rails inside of the shop. |
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After setting out the Cook Car in front of the shop,
Diesel 19 and I roll back to the main track to the right. |
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The Engineer side of the cab
of Western Maryland number 6. Thanks again to Bob. |
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On May 18th, the refurbished and ready for
service Chama based Passenger cars were returned to Chama after
being in Antonito all winter for repair and maintenance. |
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I am riding the passenger cars as far as Sublette,
then I will return to Antonito with Diesel 19. |
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We are just about a 1/4 mile below milepost 296 as we
roll thru the bottom leg of Whiplash Curve. |
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Looking back we have just passed milepost 296 and are
climbing the second leg of Whiplash curve and in the distance is
Bighorn Mountain. |
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When we arrived in Sublette on the passenger train,
Marvin Valdez and I got off the passenger train and fired up Diesel 19.
earlier in the week, Ronnie and Sam ran Diesel 19 from Antonito to
Lava, picked up two Ballast cars and then continued on to Milepost
305 where they loaded them with ballast and then continued to
Sublette where they tied the train down for the evening. |
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Once the 488 and the passenger train took on water,
they pulled forward and cleared the switch, then we on Diesel 19
pushed the Ballast cars into the rear of the passenger train. The
Cars full of ballast were pulled on the rear of the passenger train
to Cumbres... later this week the ballast will be used at a curve
just west of Milepost 333. |
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With the cars tied on, the passenger train continues
on to Cumbres and eventually Chama. |
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Bobby on the fire patrol with a representative of the
Fire Service rides the Fire Patrol Motor car behind the train. A few
employee's of the Forest Service took the opportunity and rode the
train from Antonito to Chama. |
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Bobby leaves Diesel 19, Marvin and I behind at
Sublette.... now Marvin and I will run from Sublette to Lava, pick
up a Bottom Dump hopper and a Flat and continue back to Antonito. |
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Diesel 19 stands at the top of Gravity Hill at
Milepost 290... |
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The Track Crew was working near Milepost 287, we
stopped at milepost 290, called them by radio and gave them a few
minute's to clear their equipment out of the way. |
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I thought these shots came out nice, I wanted to
share them all with you.. |
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The track crew actually cleared their equipment out
to Antonito and we followed when they were clear. |
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Diesel 19 sits at the top of Gravity Hill. |
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The Fireman's side of
Western Maryland number 6. Thanks to Bob... |
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Monday May the 22nd and I have arrived at
Milepost 296 with two flatcars of Ties for the Track Crew... The
Track Crew is around the bend having lunch! |
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A old Telegraph pole still stands by the railroad it
use to serve... |
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I stopped at Milepost 296 and that allowed the track
crew to have lunch safely while still occupying the Mainline just
west of Milepost 296. After a few minutes they rolled around the
corner to begin the job of dropping off the ties. |
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Click Here
For Video |
I am on Diesel 19 and am
rolling west with two flatcars of ties for the Track Crew. |
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Here is Diesel 19 and its load of Ties. |
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In a distance of two miles we dropped off 640 ties
that will be installed. Here we are rolling east while the track
crew is throwing ties from the flat cars.. |
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Click Here For Video |
It can be hard to get these video's, but I
thought you would like to see how the track crew throws the ties
from the flatcars as we roll down the tracks. |
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We just have two more bundles to throw and then I
will return to Antonito for another two flatcar loads of ties. |
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Well we are done unloading ties, I am stopped and the
guys are getting off the flatcars. Now, I will head back to Antonito
for the second load of ties. |
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I am rolling just west of Lava, New Mexico and I am
being followed by a huge rainstorm..... |
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I am glad to say it rained a few times this day and I
actually had almost a hour of solid rain at my house in Antonito. |
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Click Here For Video |
Headed for home with the
Empty flatcars, I roll around and pass the east switch of Lava Loop. |
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Now this is a great shot
from Bob Steverson... the old gracefully preserved for the
future.... Thanks Bob! |
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Caboose 0306 is in the shop, we lettered the
Caboose for State Senator Lewis Entz.. |
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A example of the cloth gangway fence's we use on the
Caboose, I wish we would go back to using these on all the cars. It
took me a while to find one of these curtains... |
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Thanks to the support he gave to help the railroad..
we will dedicate this caboose to Colorado Senator Entz on Opening Day in
Antonito.... I wanted to dedicate it to
Playmate Miss October 1995, the 500th Playmate.. But, I don't make
the choice's!!!!! |
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Locomotive 487 is ready and soon we will take her for
a test run... now this is my favorite locomotive.. so I extremely
happy to be taking her for her first run up Cumbres. |
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We will run to the top of Cumbres, hook on two loaded
ballast hoppers and dump the ballast on the way down at Milepost 334
and 333.50. |
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Locomotive 487 has been turned on the wye and is
hooked and ready to depart Cumbres with the two loaded ballast
cars.. |
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We have stopped west of 333 and will dump one car
here at this location. |
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Now at milepost 334, we will dump the second car of
ballast. |
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Now for a peek into the Chama Shop, check out these
Main Rod Bushings... |
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Here is Locomotive 484 being put back together...
supposed to be ready the first weekend of June.. |
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Locomotive 488 is not under steam, it is ready to
roll... but, is just waiting for service and is not under steam. |
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Locomotive 487 performed very well on its first run
and is waiting for servicing from the shop crew.. |
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These are the two standard gauge Ballast cars on
Narrow gauge trucks, they work quite well although one has a
tendency to over heat bearings... |
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My niece belongs to Marachi
Dance Group, I have a little video & picture's... would anybody be
interested in seeing those??
Oh, and by the way here are two
of her Instructors from Adams State College in Alamosa, I would like
to thank them for helping my niece, she loved it!!! |
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Caboose 0579 was switched into the shop on
May the 24th for Air Testing.. |
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I hooked it up to the shop air and tested the
brakes... everything went well, we will clean the triple valve again,
but other than that it worked great.. |
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I know Bill is gonna kill me, but I test ran the 0579
today to check it out... Marvin made me do it!!!!! |
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We rolled it around the Antonito loop to check
clearance's and it ran great.. |
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I took the opportunity to roll it around the loop and
park it next to the Lewis Entz Caboose for a Photo Session... nobody
but me showed up, so I took these picture's for you all. |
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Two Caboose's stand together.... 0306 is going out on
Opening day. |
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Caboose 0579. |
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Another pic of the Caboose 0579. |
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I ran Caboose 0579 to the Yard Limits and no further
to check its brakes, they worked very well... great job. |
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Caboose 0579, Diesel 19 and the Antonito West Yard
Limit sign. In the old days, Antonito had North, South and West Yard
limit signs... Alamosa had all four!!! |
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Again, Caboose 0579! |
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Well the brakes checked out, so lets roll the Caboose
back into town! |
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Okay we are rolling back into Antonito. |
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Motor Car 104 is in the Antonito Shop, if it has
wheels we can fix it.. |
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The Antonito Shop gets all the Mechanical work, from
Passenger cars to Locomotive's to Motor cars... we can fix it in
Antonito!!! |
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Another shot of Diesel 19... see you next
week, I have will opening weekend picture's for you!! Carlos |
