Western Railroad Discussion > San Luis and Rio Grande in Alamosa

While eating dinner, I noticed there was a set of coal hoppers on the main line west of Alamosa,   As I was leaving I saw that a set of power was backing down to them, so I went towards their yard to see if I could get some video.
Bill Kepner

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Not a lot of coal traffic around Alamosa. Were these cars in storage? 

DRGW did not allow 6-axle units west of Walsenburg, and I believe that was also a restriction on SP. However, there is an entry in DRGW TT No. 8 [May 15, 1988] that discusses the requirement for retainers between Fir and Sierra for SD-40 and SD-45 units!  

SL&RG ran SD90s into Alamosa, more than likely those are stored cars off the South Fork line, possibly
an action by the receiver.

Out

A friend of mine was working in the yard in 1988 or so and said one day there was an SD45 mixed in with the G40s that normally made the overnight trip into Alamosa.  So it did occasionally happen.  The SD90s had radial trucks, if that was worth anything.   I did see a GP7 or 9 running on their Antonito line, but that might be good for 2 or 3 cars up the hill. 

Stored coal hopper cars on the move-lessor/owner likely concerned about receivership situation-!  Wonder if San Luis & Rio Grande will pay their overdue taxes to the county and Feds-?

When I rode it a year ago last summer, the conductor told me they had over 5,000 cars in storage on the SLRG.

sucks they need that revenue

I could imagine 2500 or so but, not 5000.

Sounds like a lot for sure....Not sure how many 50 foot cars fit into the 30 miles between Monte Vista and South Fork, plus a long siding there. Sidings at Blanca and Fort Garland all suffed with cars. Anonito yard all stuffed with stored cars.  The same conductor recounted that the year previous one of the leasing comanies recalled a 100 car coal hopper train which was barricaded near South Fork.They flew in employees from other Ellis owned lines, put them up in an Alamosa hotel and used all available power to dig out the cars. It called for a game plan and detailed choreography over a peiod of days involving the entire railroad since there is (was?) almost no wiggle room with almost every inch of the railroad stuffed with cars.      

That move stuffed the Antonito branch with cars just to dig out that one set, took them nearly five days as I remember.

Out

Well it turns out the hoppers I saw last night were moved to the Antonito branch and are still on the railroad.  They seviced Antonito Friday, so instead of pushing them down past Monte Vista, they are see-sawing them closer to town.    There are no stored cars between Del Norte and South Fork.

Bill Kepner