Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

Is the RR building a new pair of sidings in Antonito? Any info or pics!

They seem to be. There's a lot of rail and ties (spiked) across the 285 grade crossing. I heard it was for general storage, but I dunno.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater

Photos by Jay Wimer.

some pics on facebook

Tom C.

Very interesting pictures. Maybe somebody can better orient me though. It looks like the long stretch of new track is on the NW side of the line - toward rt 17. However, the switch in the picture looks like it turns out to the opposite side - toward Co Rd 12.5. Any ideas about where and for how far the siding will run? How about that - laying new narrow guage track.
John

John Matthews told me that Antonito does not have enough car storage tracks. In the winter, too much complicated switching is required to move cars in and out of the shop for work.

2 tracks (I believe) are being built just west of the US285 crossing. I don't know if they are connected to the main at both ends or not. The west end is before the first road crossing west of US285, at the Highway Dept yard. Tracks are on the north side of the main. Rail looked to be heavy.

Thank you, Mr. Forney.

Steve Forney wrote:John Matthews told me that Antonito does not have enough car storage tracks. In the winter, too much complicated switching is required to move cars in and out of the shop for work.

2 tracks (I believe) are being built just west of the US285 crossing. I don't know if they are connected to the main at both ends or not. The west end is before the first road crossing west of US285, at the Highway Dept yard. Tracks are on the north side of the main. Rail looked to be heavy.

Thanks very much for the additional info. Cannot wait to see it!
John

I believe that John wants to use the siding for loading ballast as well. The biggest factor is as observed the lack of track space in Antonito.

Tim: Are the sidings done and connected to the main yet?

Not as of this week.

From a few observations of the track crew's movements and positioning of some equipment, it looked like MOW activity this week is elsewhere along the line -- out near Los Pinos and Osier. Maybe the siding project will wait for a while. From what has been said in this string, maybe there's no need to finish it until before the winter.