Western Railroad Discussion > SLRG 459 on Antonito Turn 9 Oct 2020

San Luis & Rio Grande 459, F40PH, handled 11-cars from Antonito, Colorado, passed former Denver & Rio Grande Western RR depot at La Jara, CO, 9 October 2020.  Town of La Jara now owns the depot.

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San Luis & Rio Grande 459 passed the city owned Antonito, Colorado, depot Friday, 9 October 2020.  SLRG 459 worked the Antonito Turn that day.  Antonito was the end of Denver & Rio Grande Western's standard gauge trackage.  Narrow gauge trackage ran west from Antonito and still operates as the Cumbers & Toltec Scenic RR.

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Looks like someone has put serious effort in rehabiltating the Antonito depot. When I was there last, a couple of years ago, it was a total wreck - looked like it was about to collapse.   

Nice photos, glad to see the modified F40's are operating.  It's also interesting to see that while much else has changed, the mix of open top and covered hoppers on the Antonio Turn has not in the sixty years since this photo (though the perishable business may have gone away).

Gordon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/20 05:34 by gbmott.

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I wish La Jara could get the blades to the order semaphore.  Always liked the look of that station.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/20 07:25 by tomstp.

When I visit Antonito I love the railroads and am always fascinated with the aluminum Temple.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

What is being hauled in those IPGX covered hoppers?  Nice photographic angle, by the way, from what the film industry might call a "crane shot" .

Nice shots! Did you happen to pass thru Alamosa on your trip to Antonito? Curious if you happened to see the GE demo unit that went to the SLRG for testing? 

60 years ago what is being hauled in the open hoppers was not coming out of Antonito. The material is scoria, a volcanic
rock used for a variety of purposes. The material in days past was loaded out of Blanca. Good to see the F40 running again
and on the current operating budget they'll run whatever they can fix. The bid process for the SL&RG has been open for
motnhs but there doesn't appear to be much if any interest. 

Out

Here's the Antonito Turn in happier times just before the Rail America takeover.UP ran a nightly Monday thru Friday hauler out of Pueblo with six to eight little units(four axle)Upon arrival at Alamosa two units for Antonito and two units for Del Norte  made up trains for the daytime respective turns.Later in the afternoon after they arrived back at Alamosa they made up the  return train for Pueblo.Bill Webb

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Years ago I shot SP's Turn going by at Blanca.  Since the power would be split up and used as described by Spider, that would mean no more trains for awhile.  I decided to hike the entire length of the Southern San Luis Valley RR.  All 1.5 miles.  I got to the far end from Blanca, and spied a headlight far across the plains.  Dang, it was a gut buster getting back to the car at 7,000+' elevation!  Turns out the power was going back to double the second half of the train, Antonito and Del Norte would have to wait.

mapboy

That was back when Stone Container still had the mill at Del Norte and they were shipping dry lumber
out in boxcars.

Out 

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> When I visit Antonito I love the railroads and am
> always fascinated with the aluminum Temple.

What is an "aluminum Temple"?