09-17-15 Clear Skies Cool Fall Weather

[Larry Sullivan]

Cool fall temps are in store for Chama this week and weekend with lows on Sunday perhaps hitting the 32 degree mark (accuweather.com forecast).
This morning noted the fire in the ash pit glowing quite well to be seen on cam - not sure if they had an early morning cleaning, or just leftover - but hadn't see this quite so brightly before.

[Larry Sullivan]

484 takes out an 8 car consist for train 216 this morning.

[Larry Sullivan]

Roundhouse doors were opened at 11:15 this morning, can get a peak at #15's yellow paint. No idea if there will be an appearance.

[Larry Sullivan]

Something was just brought in by the forklift and put in the roundhouse - would explain the open door. Also 487 now out and sitting in front of the depot.

[Larry Sullivan]

487 switching a long cut of cars.

[Sharon Evans]

Just got home and fired up the cam. Looks like the last 2 of the old coaches were placed into the swamp and they are still working off camera in the swamp. They may be pulling out the cars in there that are needed for the MoW special.

[Sharon Evans]

487 is backing its cut of cars down toward south yard after doing work in the swamp. Just prior to this as 487 was pulling this string out onto the main from the engine house lead, the speeder comes around the curve from the RV park and has to hastily back up to give 487 room to make its move.

[Larry Sullivan]

From what I can tell they ended up leaving one of the tank cars in the swamp, and picked up what looks like a painted stock car - likely having been worked on in a work session. In between there was a good hour or switching, most out of camera sight -- but I'll try to put something together video wise showing the moves best I can.

[Sharon Evans]

Did you hear 487 bark as it pulled up the hill from the tracks which head toward the engine house, it was a wonderful sound.

[Larry Sullivan]

Did you hear 487 bark as it pulled up the hill from the tracks which head toward the engine house, it was a wonderful sound.

Yes I have that time noted, and will add to the video - even though nothing to see I agree the sound is wonderful.

[Larry Sullivan]

Sharon here you go - I think this is what you wanted with the sound. Thought I'd cut it out separately.


Here's another with the good sound of a hard working steam locomotive.


This gives me another idea of an off-season project, create some sound files of these locomotives at work!

[Sharon Evans]

I have to admit, on a quiet Thursday afternoon this is fun to watch.

[Larry Sullivan]

I have to admit, on a quiet Thursday afternoon this is fun to watch.

I'm supposed to be napping before work tonight -- hard to pull away!!!

[Sharon Evans]

Suspend your sense of time and we could be watching the Chama yard goat blocking a train for the run east.

[Sharon Evans]

487 just pulled at least 5 stock cars out of south yard. He has pulled forward and the cut is 6 stock cars, tank, rider gon and caboose.

[Sharon Evans]

Looks like the switching is all done. From what I saw, they have blocked out 2 complete freight trains that are now sitting back to back on yard 1, counting from the main. Each has a caboose and a rider box car or gon along with various other cars. The only KNOWN photo freight is the one the weekend after the season is over so have no clue as to what is going on. It was a fun afternoon of watching a lot more action than we usually get in Chama.

[Pete Dahlberg]

Larry
Your screen capture from 12:58 has the front 5 cars from the returning school train. The last moves we made on Wednesday were to drop the rider gon, rider box and caboose on track 5 and then put the remainder of the train on track 3. We were originally just going to leave those 5 cars separate but at the last moment we were asked to couple onto several cars at the back of track 3. I wasn't able to see how many we got from the cab.

The tank car which was dropped in the swamp is probably the one with the problem brake rigging. As I was leaving the yard last night I noticed about 6 good looking tank cars sitting on various tracks. It will take some effort to pull them but they will make a nice train.

In various discussions during the week I heard there was going to be a MOW train, one with several stock cars and one with approximately 6 tanks cars. I don't know if the last 2 are going to be separate trains or parts of one. Also the 5 "pipe" cars up at Cumbres are to be used for something (besides next summer's school trains).

Regarding 487's bark, the engineers have remarked that since getting the new flues it has been running hot. We observed this when running the school train. It may be one of the reasons for the frequent pop-offs. Who ever is running 487 is hitting a sweet spot balancing the throttle and the Johnson bar to get that sound. One the first one there was some slippage but that is to be expected running early in the day in the swamp.

[Larry Sullivan]

Pete - once again thank you for your insight! We sure have noticed 487 with the seemingly excessive pop-offs. Hopefully they'll get that worked out one day.

Here's today's videos of 216 and 215 - I did not have time to work on the yard switching stuff, so that will come in the next day or two - but will get it done!

09-17-15 Train 216 Departure



09-17-15 Train 215 Return

[Larry Sullivan]

Here's one part of the yard switching as I said I'd get to. Will give you an idea of what they started with from the South yard, went into the swamp and what they came out with. I expect to do an additional video as I have time, of other switching that can be see from the Depot cam especially. Much was done off cam in both the swamp and south yard, but will get some more together.

09-17-15 487 Doing Yard Switching - Part 1 - Time spent in the swamp was well over an hour between what you see here going in and then coming out. Reminder there is a couple videos posted above with the sound of work in the swamp. Run time is 10:03