Nostalgia & History > Just a tad nippy out!

Does this photo appear "chilly" to you? Well, if I recall correctly it was a tad nippy that morning. In fact, according to my records it was about as cold as it gets in Provo... -10 degrees F. Not extremely cold by upper mid-western standards, but chilly nonetheless. Time to bundle up!

The Rio Grande track inspector parked on the westward main track is probably ready for some hot coffee. Can you imagine the bone-chilling draft inside an old Fairmont motor car moving along in sub-zero temp's?

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I remember riding inside the Zephyr one cold winter morning, admiring the pleasant steam heated interior. Here's a photo that illustrates the forgotten practice of a steam heated passenger train. The D&RGW 5771 was all but lost in a cloud of leaking vapor that morning. If you look closely at the photo, coal smoke is rising from the chimney of the old Provo passenger depot.

James

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Wonderful shots Jim! Got cold just looking at them. <g>

I'm rather surprised that the #18 stopped on main 2, required passengers to cross main 1 to get to and from the depot. I realize the track inspector on main 1 must have had track and time that would have protected the passengers, but I found it interesting anyway. Do you know if this was common practice for the RGZ? What about Amtrak 6 today? I memory serves, we were on main 1 when my dad and I were heading for Colorado in June of 2002.

Thanks for sharing...although I do need some hot chocolate now!

Kevin Morgan
The Front Range
http://www.drgw.ws/

Despite Amtrak's incompetence with the system (remember the big freeze of '77) steam heat worked well - it just needed MAINTENANCE. Maintenance, of course, has always been the big bugaboo with railroads. That said, I rode the ATSF in the middle of the summer of 1970 on #2 with 1/2 of the cars COOLED by steam and they cooled well. (Amtrak couldn't figure out steam ejector AC either)...

Here's how it looks today. Cute new station, raised platform only allows stops on the near track. In the Amshak Years (1986-2001) there was an asphalt "platform" about 7 cars long for both tracks. I don't remember offhand if there were any "crossings" of the near track or if you just walked across it. The new station has a short raised platform, so the Zephyr always stops on the near track and has to double spot if there are folks in sleepers and coaches.

Great pics, as always, Jim! I love the steamy shot...

Ted in Davis

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Any time you're using water in cold weather, of course, you must take precautions against damage caused by expasion if it freezes, so when using steam for heat all drain cocks would be cracked open just enough to allow condensate to drip out before it could freeze, thus the clouds around the engine.

You'll also notice the cloud around the obs in the first pic, due to the rear shut off valve being open a tad to keep the steam moving thru the steamline to prevent freezing.

I suspsect this is likely what Amtrak didn't understand about steam technology.

GrandeGold Wrote:
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> Does this photo appear "chilly" to you? Well, if I
> recall correctly it was a tad nippy that morning.
> In fact, according to my records it was about as
> cold as it gets in Provo... -10 degrees F. Not
> extremely cold by upper mid-western standards, but
> chilly nonetheless. Time to bundle up!

Nice photos Jim. I rode in -20 degrees F on a Farimont motor car in the upper mid-west in the 70's. Partially canvas, open to the lower rear so as to see the track. Occasionly got out to look at track and warm up. Good memories.

lhj