Steam & Excursion > Friends of the C&TS 2016 Flanger & Snow Removal Charter

March 12 & 13, 2016. Tickets will sell out fast.

Details can be found here: Flanger2016.ColoradoNewMexicoSteamTrain.org

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations

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Ticket purchase link.

CATS Flanger ticket purchase 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/15 06:49 by trainrider47.

Here is a link to a small Flickr album of pix from a March 2014 C&TS flanger photo charter similar to what is being offered next March by the Friends of the C&TS.  

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124319201@N04/albums/72157645515769188

There was no snow anywhere near Antonito, but by the time we got to Big Horn there was good snow coverage and the cuts were full, providing some nice photo ops.

Back in 1961 I took the  picture of the 487 at Chama after a cold trip over Cumbres.  So I was pleased with the 2014 opportunity to get a picture of sister 489 plunging into a snow drift and covering itself with snow.  The winter charters are rare and provide a unique opportunity to recreate winter mountain steam railroading.  Looking forward to the March charter.

JBWX

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/15 13:30 by jbwest.

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John,
The first two photos at your Flicker page indicate tire tracks, likely from a front end loader. Was that the case and where and why was that equipment used?
Thanks.

As indicated in the caption, the cut at 295 had been cleared with a front end loader the day before because when the railroad inspected it prior to the trip there was ice over the rails.  This was done to expedite getting the train to areas up the line where there was more snow and less ice.  Had we tried to clear 295 with the train, it would have been a potentially time consuming process (picking and shoveling the ice by hand) in an area where the only snow was in the cut, so the photo possibilities would have been limited.  Apparently 295 was well known to the railroad as a spot that tended to ice up.  If I remember correctly the railroad also used the front end loader to clear snow on one leg of the Big Horn wye.  Further up the line we checked drifts for ice and generally found little or no ice (presumably less melting and refreezing the higher we went).  The big drift at 301 had a good crust but was soft snow underneath (as a few of us found out the hard way).  Hope that answers the question.

JBWX



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/15 15:48 by jbwest.

I saw the pictures but didn't know there were captions. After your reply I went back and clicked the photos to find and read them. Thanks.