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Well hello Everybody, we made it thru another Year and dang it, We
did Good.. I had a Great Time Year, it was Fun... and it was so
awesome to have Ole' 484 riding the Rails again... |
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Approaching Los Pinos Tank of the Last run of the Year 2004... we
are in a Snow Storm and 484 keeps chugging along. |
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Looking back around the curve as the Train comes up behind us at Los
Pinos Curve. |
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Coming up on Cumbres, 484 cuts thru the Snow and Crests Cumbres Pass
once again. |
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Approaching Cumbres, this looks like it could have been taken in the
50's, but thanks to CDOT, the Modern day Pavement Rolling machine
reminds us what year it really is. |
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Conductor Ray Martinez walks thru the Snow to perform a Brake Test
at Cumbres. |
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The Classic Picture of Steam and Snow on Cumbres. |
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Locomotive 484 at Cumbres. |
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Looking back at the Car Inspectors House, it is almost lost in the
Snow. |
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Well its normal for us to end up with alot of Cars in Antonito so...
we have been storing extra Freight Cars at Lava, we put them in the
Connecting Track and tie then down there for the Winter.. Nobody
ever bothers them and they are out of the Way.. |
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So to get rid of our Pile of Ashes In Antonito... A result of
Cleaning Locomotive Fire's all summer.. we load them after they are
completely Cool and dump them along the Tracks to build the Shoulder
of the Roadbeds. |
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We actually had 3 cars loads and dumped them just below Milepost
289. |
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Locomotive 487 sits at the East Switch at Lava as we "Drop" 4 Cars
there for the Winter.. 3 Side Dump Gons and a Full size Ballast car
were left at Lava for the winter. We will pick them up in the Spring
when we need them again. |
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After Dumping the cars, we continue for a meet with 484 at Osier..
487 takes water at Sublette for the last time in 2004. |
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Locomotive 487 at Sublette. |
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Now 487 is dropping off Flats in Toltec Siding, these will be used
the next Day to pick up removed used Ties from the Side of the
Tracks. |
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Locomotive 487 in Toltec Siding. |
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487 and 484 meet at Osier, Colorado. |
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487 will continue on to Chama and I will switch over to 484 and take
it and 3 Passenger Cars to Antonito for winter servicing. |
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The Locomotives spend a few minutes together in Osier before going
separate ways for the winter. |
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A truck with a Drop Bottom Gondola passing thru Chama. Took these
Picture's after a Helper Run.. while I was stuffing my Face at the
"The Village Bean" |
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Here is Keith Goodrich, He is the RoadMaster for the Durango and
Silverton and he was the one delivering the Gondola. |
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This appears to be D&GWR.R. Drop Bottom Gondola 719 and it is on its
way to Boulder..again if I am correct.. I think it was going
to Golden???? |
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Its Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and we are at Rainbow, the Special
Shape Balloons are launching from Balloon Park, so We are launching
from Rainbow.. The Burners are going, heating up the Interior of the
Envelope.. soon the Balloon will stand up!! |
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The Balloon stands up and is ready to lift off. |
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We are on the Chase Truck are going after the Balloon, another
Balloon rides the wind next to us. |
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First landing of "Viento Encantado" the Pilot will change passengers
and lift off again. |
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Back in the Chase Truck and after the Balloon we go. There is my
Sweety riding in the Bed of the Truck with me. |
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Viento Encantado rides the wind next to Us. |
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Lift off of a few Balloons from Balloon Fiesta Park. |
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The Colors are amazing... |
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This is one of the Special Shape Balloons. |
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Check out that Giant Scarecrow. |
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Here are the Bee's, these are my Sweety Erika's Favorite's... |
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Now ain't that the Biggest Pumpkin you have ever seen.. |
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The Special Shapes are up, time to Glow!!! |
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And boy do they Glow. |
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Look at that Big Pink Pig and a Koi Fish. |
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There's Uncle Sam. |
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Here is a Red Devil and a Angel... |
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Now a up close look at the Burners lighting up the Balloons
Envelope. |
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This is actually a Inefficient Flame, but it looks Great. |
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Here's the Pumpkin getting a Glow going. |
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More shots of the Locomotive's at Osier, |
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Locomotive's 487 on the main and 484 on the Siding. |
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Just a little wet that day at Osier. |
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Snack Car attendant Renee and her Sister Osier Food Service Employee
Carmen. |
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The Locomotives slowly pull away from each other at Osier. |
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Now here is Ronnie Lopez, Myself, Ray Martinez and Docent Bob Hey. |
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This is a Picture of Yours Truly oiling 484 at Cumbres.. |
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And this is Me at the Throttle of 484, I am blowing a Highball
Whistle at Cumbres before my descent into Chama. Thank you so
much to Docent Bob Hey for these Picture's, Bob has sent me a few
and more of his Picture's will be in the Next couple of Updates. |
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Well we were Eastbound with a few Passenger Cars and 2 Cars of New
Ties... the Tie Cars are at the Rear of the train.. this is a
Railroad rule and it require's you to carry Tie Cars away from the
Locomotives to prevent cinders from starting the creosote on fire. |
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Locomotive 484 at the East Switch of Toltec Siding. |
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Conductor Sam Ruybal is actually riding the Motor-Car behind the
Train and is at the Back-end tightening down the handbrakes on the
flat cars. |
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Here we are at Osier and the Motor-cars are in the siding and the
Track Crew is already headed for Home. |
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Well we made it to Antonito, and 484 is stopped next to "Fort Knox"
the Friends shop building. |
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There is the Last Train into Antonito for the Season with Passenger
Cars.. No Passengers though. |
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And the Motor Car as usual brings up the Rear with Conductor Sam
Ruybal. |
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The Lifting Company gets ready to move 169.. |
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Straps and chains are installed on 169... |
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The Crane begins to tighten the cables and.... |
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slowly D&RGW 169.... |
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Begins to lift into the air.... Now I will be honest here... I would
have preferred that Locomotive 169 would not have been lifted... I
think it could have been moved without being lifted.. |
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Seeing Locomotives being lifted into the Air scares us
railroaders... the Possibility of the Frame being Twisted is scarey.. |
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But the Crane Operator is a Pro, the Best and the Locomotive was
moved carefully and with Precise Control. |
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Slowly 169 comes down onto the Truck Trailer... |
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169 is guided into place... |
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and it is now on the Truck Trailer. |
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Well thats all for now Folk's, See you later. And a Quick Note, I always hoped this web-page could be used for
research also.. So I will be offering the Entire Locomotive 487
Rebuild Project on Photo Cd. The Project will be split into sections
as I finish them, nothing Fancy.. Just picture's on a CD. And I will
make you a deal, Lets Trade... For a few Blank CD-R Disc's or
"whatever else" to help the Web-site and Shipping, I'll send you the
First Photo Cd by Mail.. The First Photo Cd is Ready..it is the Nov
6th to End of Dec 2003 Picture's taken of 487's rebuild, it has
exactly 125 Picture's on the Disc.. Just e-mail me and I will get
the First Cd in the Mail to you... Thanks, Carlos"
Here is the West Switch at Lava, New Mexico... it is thrown away
from the main and onto the Connecting Track.
And I must Apologize, I shoot all my Picture's with my Trusty
Canon Rebel-G, but alas my old faithful camera of 2 thousand Plus
rolls of film suffered a Electrical Crash and must go to the Camera
Doctor.. so I will be using a back-up and may not get as many photos
as I normally do.. The Updates may be a little small for a while..
now you may not know this, but I absorb all the costs of the
web-site myself out of my own Pocket... Film, Processing, Camera
equipment.. so it may take me a while to get back up to speed, but I
will do my best to keep the Web-site interesting. Thanks for your
Patience, Carlos
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