Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

There hasn't been a winter type storm yet. However one is coming. It rained last night and above 9000 feet this morning, fog. Rain and snow are forecast tonight. High of 50 in Chama on Monday.

Cumbres on Nov 1, 2014

That new siding and paint on the section house sure look great. Many thanks to Bob Conroy and his teams for getting all that work done preserving the structures.

Was the House Track switch removed?

Jason Rose wrote:Was the House Track switch removed?

Jason,

The house track switch and lead are still in place. If you click on the image and enlarge it you will see the switch stand and track.

Your heart rate may return to normal =)

-Jon

Thank you Mr. Walden.

It is kind of lost in the tree.

Tom C.

Jon Walden wrote:

Jason Rose wrote:Was the House Track switch removed?

Jason,

The house track switch and lead are still in place. If you click on the image and enlarge it you will see the switch stand and track.

Your heart rate may return to normal =)

-Jon

Is that lead all that is left of the track that used to run behind (to the south) of the station that is no longer there? I was also thinking I read somewhere that they also used that lead to unload the train when labato trestle was repaired. Just wondering.
John

John, the track that was south of the station is still in place from it's east switch to about the location where the station was. This is where the Geese were unloaded. Engines were unloaded at a much more substantial excavated ramp near the section house, now removed and ground leveled.

Likely the house track was removed when the highway was relocated, maybe later. The west switch is still in place west of the water plug, and is the most westerly switch on the main at Cumbres. Very little track is left at the west end, only a few feet. One point of the switch was removed this summer as something came loose and it was fouling low pieces of running gear on trains.

Steve,
Thanks for the history lesson - much appreciated.
John

Here are some photos of the ramp built out of the House Track on the east side of Highway 17. As Steve said, this one was used to offload Goose 5. I wasn't there to get a photo of the pit dug on the west side for the locomotives and rolling stock. However, somewhere I know Roger Hogan posted photos.










In 20 or 30 years these photos ought to make an interesting "What Is It?" discussion on a railroad forum...

Jason,

Great shots! Going back to Google Earth I can just make out where the ramp is.

Thx.

John

John, I'm pretty sure the ramp has been dismantled.