“And so the narrow gauge gets in the blood and will not out,” wrote Trains Editor David P. Morgan in the October 1969 edition that served as a heartfelt tribute to the Colorado narrow gauge. His statement applies to so many of us to this very day and was so appropriate earlier this month when 31 of us chartered a snow clearing train on a portion of the famous Rio Grande San Juan extension.
Last summer photographers John West and Michael Allen included me in planning discussions for this rare winter photo charter on the 64-mile-long 3-foot gauge Cumbres & Toltec Scenic tourist railroad that straddles the Colorado and New Mexico border.
Originally Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-2 No. 484 was scheduled for our charter, but winter intervened on 10,000-foot Cumbres Pass, ending plans to swap locomotives Nos. 484 and 489. Thus, No. 489 got the call. The locomotive was re-lettered and touched up, including number board corrections. Soni Honeger loaned two marker lamps, shop workers removed the spark arrester. We were ready to go.
At 6:15 a.m. on March 15, we headed out. First stop for photos: Lava tank, milepost 291.5. Then we moved further up the line for more photos. At one location in particular, the railroad was worried about ice under the snow in the cut, and had dug out a cut with a front-end loader and backhoe.
At milepost 295.8, near Whiplash curve, we stopped to replenish the water in the tender by using the water car and a gasoline powered pump, then made two attempts before clearing this drift. We boarded the cabooses and headed for Big Horn. Forward progress came to a rapid halt at about milepost 298.2, along with the rather cryptic comment over the radio that “we have a big problem up here.” A walk forward told the tale. A boulder had broken loose from the top of the north side of the cut. It came down, struck the rail, and the impact broke a section of the boulder and the smaller part landed on the south side of the rail. Luckily, the boulder landed directly on a joint, supported by angle bars, which likely prevented a broken rail. Several suspected this would be a short day, but the crew attacked the boulder with gusto. A spike was produced and inserted into the fissure to aid in splitting the boulder. From the time the quick stop was made, about 11:20 a.m., until the rock was demolished, took approximately 55 minutes, before continuing our trek.
More drifting was encountered at Big Horn, and we began preparing for the return to Antonito. The train was shoved down the main past the west wye switch. The 489 cut off, and backed into the drift that had covered part of the west leg. It was a difficult move, and at one point a distinct metallic “thunk” was audible. It was discovered that a number of ties were left, or placed by hunters, between the rails, where the flanger picked up the ties, raising the tender truck off the rail and then dropping back on the rail. Whew! The loco was turned, and the decision was made to turn the engine only and drag the consist back to Antonito.
The next day dawned clear for an 11 a.m. departure. We returned to Big Horn to pick up the snow busting. All cars except the flanger and two cabooses were placed on the west leg of the wye. Superintendent Marvin Casias brought up a front-end loader and cleared the wye of offending materials. After clearing the line at Big Horn, the next drift was encountered at milepost 299.9 and yet another more serious one at milepost 300.7. It required five or six attempts to buck the biggest drift.
The sound of the engine accelerating, blasting into the drift, hitting the snow, fighting for forward motion, and losing traction with wild spinning of the drivers was incredible, something that needs to be experienced. As soon as forward motion stopped, engineer Max Casias moved the valve motion to reverse to begin backing out. Each drift gave the crew more confidence and we could see them getting more and more comfortable with the process. After each shove, snow was removed from the front of the loco to reduce the possibility of damage to the headlight between shoves.
After this drift was broken through, we made a photo of the crew: Engineer Casias, brakeman Lucas Maez, fireman Jake Vigil, head of engineering and planning Ed Beaudette.
We hit one more drift, but time was getting short. However, the crew was definitely getting into the activities. Max, Jake, and Olaf Rasmussen walked ahead and reported that around the curve at MP 301.6 was a formidable drift, and they (the crew) wanted to do it! So we did. This was the end of westward progress, and we boarded the cabooses and returned to Big Horn, gathered up the cars left there, wyed the entire train, and proceeded back to Lava, where the connection track was used to once again point the train west.
After a night photo session, the connection track was utilized again, backing down to head east. The entire two days was an incredible experience, showing what the crews had to do back in the days to keep the narrow gauge running through the Rockies. The narrow gauge had already been in my blood, but it is even more so now after watching train crews fight snow in wintertime.
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