A Memory from Ed Stabler on the FIRST C&TS RR Train

[Larry Gibson]

With the passing of Ed Stabler this past week I'm posting this email in his memory on this forum. I think you all will enjoy his witness to history. He lived what many only dream!

Email Text and photos: August 18, 2010 From Ed Stabler to Larry Gibson

I've spent more than a little time looking at those locations. It's interesting to me to see how things have changed since I last was there. We used to have "tunnel parties" in some of the Ute Pass tunnels in the late 50s when I was in high school. I'll let you use your imagination on that one. The little station in Divide where the Midland Terminal takes off south to Cripple Creek has undergone numerous changes of ownership and has been everything from a bar to a bait shop to a restaraunt to a private residence. It's a wonder it's still standing. Thanks for sending that link, thise pics do bring back a memory or two

In 1949, after the last Midland Terminal train ran and before the scrappers removed the track, the late C. M. "Bud" Edmonds, a railfan who owned KCMS AM & FM in Manitou Springs, rigged his Jeep up with a wire recorder, an amplifier and speakers, drove up on the ROW and ran through Manitou playing his recordings of some of the last trains on the line. Needless to say he woke a lot of people up and raised more than a few eyebrows. In the late 60s Bud served in the Colorado State Legislature and was one of the state reps instrumental in getting the CO Legislature on board to save what is now the C&TS. In Sept. 1970, I went to Antonito with Bud to help him record the frist train west of Antonito with 483. Since I had worked as an engineer on the Cripple Creek and Victor, I got tagged to stay up all night and babysit the 483. Fun trip.

Here are a couple photos I took on that trip. Hope they don't take too long to load.-- Ed

[Roger Hogan]

Thank you for this post. RIP Ed.