CTSRR Shops August 3rd week 2004

Click On Any Photo To See Large Version Use Your Back Button To Return
	Well this Weeks Update is a little small.. so I thought I would invite you into my Personal Life.. This is the Great Dunes National Monument North-east of Alamosa. It is a Great Big Pile of Sand which maintains a almost Constant Height of 700 feet. Medano Creek runs thru the Sand Dunes at the South Edge and forms a perfect Sand Castle Building and Toe-Wetting Heaven... The Water Surge's and Flows according to the Sand and is in a ever Changing flow of warm water. Eventually the Water runs its Course and quietly narrows and slows and soaks into the Sand ending the Creeks Flow.. it is a Beautiful Thing and I find a great deal of Peace walking in its waters..
	Okay I'll let you come up with your own Caption here.. Superintendent Marvin and Ticket Agent Breann.
	On a cold dreary afternoon, 487 performs the Switching duties in Chama.
	A cool Rain can't keep 487 from her Duties.
	After dropping a Passenger Car into Track 4, 487 pulls forward to head for the Main.
	Conductor Ray Martinez gets ready to throw the Switch. Those Little Yard Switches are kinda hard to get to,
	What you are looking at is a new Friction Bearing or Brass being machined for a Passenger Car, The actual Bearing is Brass and has Babbitt poured into it.. then the Babbitt is machined to fit the Axle of the Passenger Car Wheel.
	You are looking at the Slide Guides for the Piston Valve. You can see the new Cup covers with Chains that have been made to cover the Oil Cups.
	Here is 488's Smokebox, it's flues have been Rolled and Beaded and are ready for Testing.
	Here is 488's Engineers Side Crosshead being put in, The Bolts will eventually Hold it in place, but for now the Yellow Strap is holding it in place.
	You are looking at 488's Ash Grate Shakers, the long metal arms sticking up from the Three boxes or Brackets in the Picture's are connected under the floor to rods that are attached to the actual Grate's.. This allows us to drop or rock the fire grates and clean or completely drop out the fire in the Firebox!
	You are looking at the Throttle Assembly and Steam Gauge and Primary and Secondary Water Glasses that will be in 488's Cab. You can also see the New Boiler Plugs and New Staybolt Caps. The Firedoor looks kinda plain without the actual Firedoors installed.
	You are under 488's rear end, just below what would be the Cab, up above and to the left a little is 2 circle's in 2 pockets, that is where the Drawbars sit in and the Pin goes up into the holes and locks both of them in place... the pin is kept in place by a key and plate.
	Another view of 488, you can see the Drawbar pockets and the Trailing Truck, the Trailing Truck Axle and one of the Ash-pan Doors.
	My Grandfather always refered to these machines as the "Los Perro's Grande's" or "the Big Dog's" refering to the fact that the Bosses would ride the rails on them.
	MW-02 getting a Paint Job.
	MW-02's Air Tank sits on the Rails during Painting. That's 483's original Tender if I am Correct.. sitting there behind.
	Here is the Colorado Fire patrol, it has been Stripped for Painting.
	It is Now in Primer and awaiting its coat of new Paint.
	The Color is Supposed to resemble Rio Grande's Orange..
	It is Nice to see all the Equipment getting new paint..I really have enjoyed seeing everything a matching Color and numbered.
	This is Ghost Forest at the Sand Dunes National Monument..
	Here is my Self-Portrait in Sand.. It's looks just like me, Huh!
	What did I tell you about Toe-Wetting in the Medano Creek at the Sand Dunes. Yes, Those are my Toes, have to take off the Steel Toe shoes and just play in the sand once in a while..
	My Best Friend Erika Penninger shows me a Time-Honored Technique of Sand Castle Building. You know Erika I haven't had any Good Peanut Butter Cookies in quite a while, Hint, Hint!!!!!
	Another View of Young Tree's trying to hold on in the sand as Medano Creek flows over them..
	Another View of MW-02, I have always wanted to ride this Machine.. never have had the Chance... Who's Got the Keys, I have a Hot Date and want to Borrow MW-02 for a Midnight Cruise!!!!!
	She's Gonna look like a Million Bucks when the painter is Done, I have to get a hold of that Guys Name.
	Here is another of The C&T's Motor Cars, this is 107
	A basic Motor-Car, but none the less a Quality machine that has logged many a mile over these Narrow Gauge Rails.
	Now I must admit I don't know much about this Locomotive, but it runs and did some switching duties this Year... its kinda pretty though, I really like the way it looks..
	I apologize for the small update this week, just didn't get very many shots.. I do however have a few shots of my recent Visit to the Beautiful Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge and the photo's of "North American RailCar Operators Associations" visit to the Cumbres & Toltec and they will be on next week's update. So please be patient, I will soon have the latest on 488's rebuild, not sure of the details yet, but I will get the Facts for you all and continue to shoot picture's of the Rebuild. I would also like to Thank everybody for continuing to visit this website, it is kinda difficult to shoot 3 rolls of film a week to maintain the site, but I have enjoyed this Journey of Web-site Maintenance and feel my Photo-Log may someday be a new Book of Steam Railroading History for the Future..So the Greatest of Thanks to you all, Thank you to my fellow Employee's for showing patience with me while sticking a Camera in their Face and Thank you to all for Visiting this Site and Thank You to this Place ....The Cumbres and Toltec for bringing all of us together! I am Honored to share this with you all and am forever grateful...Carlos Llamas Oh, and to my Buddy in Denver who wears the Badge and protects the Mile High City.. I hope you are feeling Better... C'mon everybody lets give Mr Anderson a Hand, Thank you for being my Friend and for Protecting Everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!