Steam & Excursion > Steam Helper service at Los Pinos

One of my best railfanning experiences ever was to witness the Triple-Header weekend at the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR on October 24th this year. The train run up the hill from Chama to Cumbres Pass as a Triple-Header with #'s 463, 484, and 489, then they split it and the 489 took it solo down the lesser grade on the east side to Osier, and then they ran the train west up to Cumbres again with the 2 units, with 489 leading, and 484 set in 1/2-ways back in the 30-car train. Just before the Pass, they broke up the train again, and sent them down the steep hill back to Chama as 2 seperate sections, with 484 leading the first one back to town and 489 bringing in the rear section. All the action was a very full day, with the Triple-Header heading out of Chama at 8 AM, and the full action completing just before 6 PM. What a way to spend a day.
1. The train arrives at the Los Pinos horseshoe, working the WB grade, here about 1.4%
2. Rounding the curve with the Los Pinos watertank in the foreground
3. The 484 was set in 1/2-ways back
Lothar
Corinth, TX

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4 & 5. The 489 steaming past the Los Pinos watertank....
6. ....and the 484 back in the middle

I know it's a month after the fact, but I have been too busy  on the road so far, and just now getting time to process the trip and get a chance to post here. I will post some more later this weekend yet.
Lothar

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I assume this was a photo charter. If so, I hope you contributed something to the orbainzer for the privilidge of taking these photos.

I'm sorry, but since when do railfans have to answer to ANYBODY as to whether or not they "contributed monetarily" to ANY organization when photographing special trains?   Maybe they did or maybe they didn't, it really is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. 

Ed

AMEN! wag216

Mr. Anderson....yes I did, and so did a slew of others that chased the train instead of riding. BUT, Ed is right. In the future, if you are going to challenge something like that, you ought do it by a PM, not in a public forum.
Thanks
Lothar

lotharb,
It's going to be a long winter so don't worry about late postings - it will be enjoyable to see last October's pictures and look forward to more photo freights next year.

Lothar, much to your credit for contributing, to Ed, this is a public forum we have a right to ask,
and the concept that a prized shot of an expensive charter should be free is wrong, get over it!

Out

I never said that a prized photo from a private charter should be free, I just don't think I owe you or anyone else an explanation about whether or not I contributed money!  In addition, everytime I photo a private car, should I send money to the owner?  If I photo an amusement park engine, must I give more money to "support" that locomotive?  You may promelgate contributing anything to anyone, but what I DO is my business, I owe no one an explanation of my finances.  You may suggest, but you may not ask.

Ed

The C&TS is in an area of both public and private land ownership in that area.  Any private individual can not control activities on public land. Furthermore the C&TS is publically owned which makes just closing an event to the passing public even more treacherous.  additionally printed photographs do bring some publicity to the RR with also helps. Finally we do not know the activities of everyone or their donations to a property.  If someone donated to the restoration of the cars but not the actual charter I would not call them a freeloader. They help make the charter possible. 
Dreamer

Excuses. Charters cost direct money to the paid participants, said trip is technically not in the
public domain. You do have a point that published images due contribute to the interest in the
various projects but I doubt that level on interest causes more people to be amongst the charter
participants. I applaud everyone who understands the costs of a charter and at least contributes
to the cause in the form of a Chaser Pass.

Out

Having worked for tourist railroads I understand the cost and most charters do not cover the actual cost. Rail fans are too cheep.  Furthermore as an US citizen I have a right to my public lands no matter what you want the rules of society to be.  It is no different than photographing any train from public places.  I have heard of a supporter of a railroad with permission to be where he was at, in this case on private property, harassed by a charter operator who had no authority over the private property.  Furthermore the railroad supporter had made sure that his activities did not interfere with the charter.  Yet the charter operator proceeded to make a total ass of himself. We were able to keep the supporter in spite of the charter operator not because of them.  It is important for those involved with a charter to know what they are getting into.  Just because you are doing an activity does not make you dictator of the world. Fortunately we still live in a country with some liberties and that means we have to tolerate one another and each others ability to exercise their liberties.

Dreamer

Hey, did anyone notice that Lothar posted some killer photographs?  I love the train way in the background and the water tank in the foreground.  All are beautiful. #2 would make a dynamite poster.
Rick Zorko



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/15 20:17 by zoohogger.

About time someone mentioned the actual pictures.
Thanks
Lothar

      I liked the photos too, we are free to contribute or not as we want or as we are financially able, either way. Some don't even know they can contribute or that it would be a nice or proper gesture to the outfit putting on the run. Lots of reasons it IS or is NOT done and I certainly wouldn't come on here and ding someone for not doing it or even asking if they had. I believe that would be quite impolite, out of line or whatever.        And by the way, what the hec is an ' orbainzer ' ?

Lothar:

Thanks for sending along the great photos. That's a nice house up on that hill overlooking the right-of-way! What a way to spend the day on the front porch.

I used to take photos all the time on the Sierra during their frequent involvement in movie filming. Those were all commercial ventures and the films themselves protected property. Nonethelss, if the Sierra crews didn't tell you not to take pictures (and they never did), I never had anyone from any of the various prodcution companies object. Often times one is on other private land so, assuming the owner grants you permission, the image captured is public domain. Same when on public righs of way for roads, or publicly owned lands.

There may be a reason to donate to C&T, or to help out one's favorite railroad's operations, but the nexus between taking pictures and any implied obligation to donate funds is a stretch.

Again, the photos are great and they remind me, that next time I'm in Chama I want to go over the pass again behind real Colorado narrow guage steam! Nothing says Colorado high country like a coal cinder in the eye ; )

Thanks again,

John

Well you folks turned an interesting threat into a shouting match.  With that being siad, Railfans have spent untold millions of dollars imn gas, motel rooms, food, film and gas shooting the #4449 goingh back to 1974.  I am sure the total was more than the millions spent on its upkeep, restoration and rebuilding. I urge all of you to join the Oregon Railroad Heritate Foundation at www.orhf.org/  Become a member and make a donation so that the #4449 will continue to run and nobody will feel guilty. OR Send a check to the Friends of the #4449 at www.4449.com/

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 That way the next time you take a picture of it, you are supporting it at the same time.  Mike Pechner

Lothar, thank you for the gift of these images. I know that you didn't have to take the time and make an effort for us to be able to view these interesting scenes without hardly lifting a finger of our own, only to be harassed by an awkward comment, the spelling police, bitterness and then a commercial.

Rest assured the vast majority of us appreciate your efforts and are mildly appalled that some would seek to disparage those who take the time to contribute to this forum. Most of us realize that without the contributions of those like yourself, TrainOrders would be a only a shell.

It seems some are always seeking to kill the Goose that lays the golden eggs knowingly or not.  It's a trend that seems to be on the rise here and frankly, it's pissing me off.

Chris

Lothar, as someone who loves the D&RGW but lives in another country and way too far away to see images like this, thanks for sharing them.