Steam & Excursion > This time

Cleaning the closet continues. This time I think I know the year but, if wrong, I would appreciate the correction.

1. May 1997 OY painted grey is ready at Chama next to 488 and a ghostly shadow of somebody else.

2. Go across a bridge and proceed by a tree. Sorry Roger I don't have your wonderful music.

3. First turn of the blades, more snow ahead.

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really like picture #2. Shows the setup with the tank car etc.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Guess we were rubbing elbow's back then.
Ed K. cp Laurel Run

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Do the tank cars act as tenders for the plows and engines?

I'm guessing with the slow going clearing the tracks, the locomotives could be out there for hours and hours between water stops so they would need extra water capacity too.

-M

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

Ardenwood Wrote:
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> This time I think I know the year but, if wrong, I would appreciate
> the correction. May 1997 OY painted grey is ready at Chama
> next to 488 and a ghostly shadow of somebody else.

The night photos are Friday, May 2, 1997. Earl Knoob sold tickets and I provided the flashbulbs and lighting.

Saturday, May 3, OY and train made it to Cumbres by late afternoon, and stayed there overnight.

Sunday, May 4, 484 took a passenger train from Chama to Cumbres and, after the rotary outfit had been serviced, the two trains headed east. At some point 484's train stopped and reversed to Cumbres, while OY continued to Osier and turned on the loop before returning to Chama.

Harlock, thank you for your kind words. M1bprr, for the addition of three great shots, and John, for your wonderfully accurate records.

Here is another shot, as the plow comes out of the Tanglefoot. Sorry if you saw this before.

In answer to Harlock's comments (BTW I am a great admirer of your shots in Japan) I remember crew shoveling snow after Coxo and before going out to the Windy Point.

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Sorry Harlock I did not describe right what the crew members were doing.

Instead of "I remember crew shoveling snow" I should have said "I remember crew shoveling snow to increase the water level of the tenders and tankers when the progress of the plow train was slowed down due to the heavy snow after Coxo and before going out to the Windy Point."

johnacraft Wrote:
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> Ardenwood Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This time I think I know the year but, if wrong,
> I would appreciate
> > the correction. May 1997 OY painted grey is
> ready at Chama
> > next to 488 and a ghostly shadow of somebody
> else.
>
> The night photos are Friday, May 2, 1997. Earl
> Knoob sold tickets and I provided the flashbulbs
> and lighting.

Close, John, bit not quite...

The second day both trains got to around Los Pinos, before calling it quits. The passenger train returned to Chama, the Rotary outfit tied up at Cumbres. The third day, the passenger train came up the hill and was cut into the Rotary train. The whole works went east and started clearing snow. We got as far as MP 321.5 where we found a large (like 4x8 feet) rock on the track, complete with broken and bent rails. The whole works retreated from there back to Chama.
>
> Saturday, May 3, OY and train made it to Cumbres
> by late afternoon, and stayed there overnight.
>
> Sunday, May 4, 484 took a passenger train from
> Chama to Cumbres and, after the rotary outfit had
> been serviced, the two trains headed east. At some
> point 484's train stopped and reversed to Cumbres,
> while OY continued to Osier and turned on the loop
> before returning to Chama.

Wow great images!

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Earlk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Close, John, bit not quite...
>
> The second day both trains got to around Los
> Pinos, before calling it quits. The passenger
> train returned to Chama, the Rotary outfit tied up
> at Cumbres. The third day, the passenger train
> came up the hill and was cut into the Rotary
> train. The whole works went east and started
> clearing snow. We got as far as MP 321.5 where we
> found a large (like 4x8 feet) rock on the track,
> complete with broken and bent rails. The whole
> works retreated from there back to Chama.

Thanks - I will update my calendar notes.

Wasn't there a photo special John West and Greg Scholl put together somewhere in there?

Thank you for the correction Eark, now I remember the big rock. More cleaning yielded three more.

5. A bit of rest for the OY and three engines before tackling the mountain.

6. OY and the triple-pushers tackle the mountain.

7. As John said, "Saturday, May 3, OY and train made it to Cumbres by late afternoon."

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