Railroaders' Nostalgia > Rio Grande scenic route!!!!!

This is a little different slant working for the Rio Grande. West of Denver, the Rio Grande followed the Colorado River from Granby to Dotsero. The summer months were really nice. There were several rafting companies that work the Colorado River from Azure down the Colorado pass Bond.

Some rafting trips would be a day trip. They would put in at Azure and leave the river at State Bridge. Others would spend the night west of Radium on the other side from the railroad.

A couple trips really stands out!!!! One Sunday, we came out Pburg on a coal load. We left Pburg about 200PM. This us put at Radium around 500PM. At Radium, the west end end had a right hand curve then a left hand curve, somewhat straight track for about 30 cars, then another left hand and then a right hand. This would take you by the section houses. There was a bridge that crossed the river here. One rafting headquarters was near the bridge. We came around this curve, there was a young lady in the river. She was somewhat in the shade. Looking at her from the distance, it looked like she had a tan bikini on. When we started around the right hand curve, I could tell than it wasn't a tan bikini. She was so tan that she was completely nude. She was taking a bath and washing her hair. She was not embarrassed in the least amount, she did not try to cover up! She waved at me and I waved back. I yell at the conductor to get on the back end of the caboose. I wished that I had my camera out of my grip. Very impressing wild life to say the least!!!!

One other trip eastbound through Radium, east of Radium about a mile, the railroad heads towards the river and makes a sharp left hand curve. It is about 125 yards straight down to the river. There is a hot springs on the other side of the river. We would always see people over there, but no body was brave enough to stand up and give us a high ball. This day, I looked down below us. There was a raft with four guys fishing from each corner of the raft. A nice looking lady was laying on her back in the center of the raft. She did not have a top on!!!!! I must say these guys must have been dedicated fisherman. I think that my eyes would have been in the raft not on the river and a fishing pole.

I never did see any rafters either spending the night west of Radium or on the river that would flash us. Of course, we did not have beads like New Orleans.

These trips during the summer months were something that all the crews looked forward for an afternoon trip along the Colorado River.

I am sure some other rails have some stories about their runs? Let hear your stories.

Gary A. Rich
Aurora, CO

Along the SP Coast Line, near Carpenteria, in the 1970s and later, was an unoffical nude beach, quite isolated from other parts of the ocean front, and the SP tracks are up on a bluff maybe 90 feet above the water.
With the knowledge of this situation, the Roadmaster, "Sonny" Mahon, told me it was just like having a permanent slow order, at least in the daytime.
No day trains, with the exception of a late Starlight, would miss the chance to see what might be there.
In all my trips on trains or motor cars, the only nudists I saw were male, but still good for some humor.

I have raft that stretch many times and know that hot spring. Nice little float trip. A great way to railfan. And yes, I have told my paddle crew that when the Amtrak comes by, you must moon it. Rafter tradition.

I have also talk with a couple of ex river guides who used to guide in Brown's Canyon on Tennessee Pass. More then once they have flipped a raft because the paddlers where watching a train heading up the canyon instead of paddling!

I wonder if any crews have seen one of those flips.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/13 14:02 by grande_fan.

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> Along the SP Coast Line, near Carpenteria, in the
> 1970s and later, was an unoffical nude beach,
> quite isolated from other parts of the ocean
> front, and the SP tracks are up on a bluff maybe
> 90 feet above the water.
> With the knowledge of this situation, the
> Roadmaster, "Sonny" Mahon, told me it was just
> like having a permanent slow order, at least in
> the daytime.
> No day trains, with the exception of a late
> Starlight, would miss the chance to see what might
> be there.
> In all my trips on trains or motor cars, the only
> nudists I saw were male, but still good for some
> humor.

Most are gay beaches between Capitan and Carpinteria

I have witness a lot of mutiny on the river. Especically on a real hot day that a lot of the paddlers would jump into the river to cool off. I never seen any one flip a raft on the Colorado. I have seen it on the Arkansas River through the Royal Gorge!!!!

Gary
Aurora, CO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/13 18:18 by waycar_rider.

railstiesballast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Along the SP Coast Line, near Carpenteria, in the
> 1970s and later, was an unoffical nude beach,
> quite isolated from other parts of the ocean
> front, and the SP tracks are up on a bluff maybe
> 90 feet above the water.
> With the knowledge of this situation, the
> Roadmaster, "Sonny" Mahon, told me it was just
> like having a permanent slow order, at least in
> the daytime.
> No day trains, with the exception of a late
> Starlight, would miss the chance to see what might
> be there.
> In all my trips on trains or motor cars, the only
> nudists I saw were male, but still good for some
> humor.

There was a road crossing right by that beach whose road lead down to the beach. Frequently, people heading for the beach were already in an unclothed state. One afternoon, No. 98, the Coast Daylight was coming east with one of the 3200 class SDP-45's on the point. There was also a 10 MPH slow order in effect there. The fireman saw some nude people walking toward the tracks, whereupon, he quickly stripped his own clothes off and went out on the front platform and hollored and waved at them. Everyone thought that was a great hoot.

I can't remember who the crew was now, but one day in LA they had tied up and were still excited about the trip down by this beach. It seems that when the caboose went by, one couple was walking nude by the tracks. The girl "grabbed" her boy and waved it at the crew on the caboose. The rear man told me he thought the conductor was going to have a heart attack!

There was a slow order for years at the west switch at Ortega. It was only good for 5 mph during the day and 30 at night. Old Sonny used to "inspect" the seawall back towards the Miramar and said he had a good time doing it.

There were a lot of nude beaches from Concepcion to Ventura and I don't think they were all gay. There was an apartment house on the land side, right at the west power switch at SLO where used to cut the helpers in & out. There was a gal that would stand in the floor length window, without a stitch on and watch us. It didn't matter what time of day or night. Great place for tired eyes.

Nudge

Perhaps not in the 70s, Nudge, but by the 90s, yes

.
> We would always see people over there, but no body
> was brave enough to stand up and give us a high
> ball.


Really Funny,think about it.


Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Uncle Joe, I know what you are referring about. I was thinking more of the female's than males!!!!!

Gary
Aurora, CO

Years ago i arranged a railfan rafting trip on the New River in WV. Our guide who was a railfan said that when he heard a train coming he would tell his groups that they were hearing the most dangerous rapid on the river etc. The train would get louder and the rafters would be craning their neck trying to see the non existent rapids.

I never saw a girl anywhere near Radium every time I was there. Some loading up at Yarmony maybe. Used to comment on the lack of scenery.
Then one day just as sunset hit we came out of tunnel 30 eastbound and about 20 GN 0-2-0s were walking naked on the dirt trail towards Pactolas. Followed by a IH Scout with two more naked 0-2-0s of GN heritage. ALL were covered in mud. Hell, I even forgot I had a camera.....

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WAF Wrote:
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> Perhaps not in the 70s, Nudge, but by the 90s [mostly gay beaches], yes

In 1999 we stopped at Lookout Park at Ortega, a nice bathroom stop. We walked down to the beach and saw 2 nude hetero-sexual couples. It was a sunny Sunday after Thanksgiving, still a bit chilly by the sea, with all of us (my wife and daughter, pregnant with our only grandchild, so I'm sure of the date) wearing sweatshirts. Definitely a hardy bunch to be out there naked in November!

mapboy