Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

In the early morning light, both hot K36's, 484 and 487, simmer in front of the house waiting for the call of another run up the hill to Cumbres and on to Osier. I have seen nothing other than that one post yesterday about a rock slide so I guess we will see what is up.

I would imagine this week right after the holiday may be a lighter week on passenger counts, perhaps they'll offer folks to bus them to Chama and back even if not already scheduled to do so, getting the full (well half) ride and lunch at Osier. Sure would like to see some pics of that slide, get an idea of how bad it is.

They could easily run 10 car trains out of Chama to Osier every day. Hopefully they get the 489 back running soon to take some of the load off the 484 and 487. Also looks like the intrepid 463 gets to rest over in Antonito while this whole thing is sorted. The location is very remote if I read the post over at NGDF correctly. Just looked at that post again, slide is west of rock tunnel, so very near the gorge.

It sure looks like the bus to Antonito is parked by the station, strange.




Guess we need to wait for some word from the railroad about this whole incident to make sure it is not some kind of internet hoax.

Preparations for today's activities:

487 has moved to the tank to take water and 484 is building steam and its headlight has come on.



484 is out at the pit and 487 is backing to the coal dock lead.


487 has moved to the location where the hostlers turn it over to the road crew. 484 has moved to the tank but note its backup light is on.



It is hard to see details on the Antonito CDoT cam but sure looks like 463 is coupled to the train over there.

Departure of train 216: Standard seven cars with 487 leading.


The engineer of 487 blows to alert the conductor of the running brake test.

It was reported the slide is cleared. Suppose to have been a large slap that came down.. Maybe some dynomite and the front end loader made quick work of it!

Tom C.

The speeder used as the fire patrol has been picked up by the all terrain lift for some reason and moved over in front of 15.

Just saw this on the north cam. I wonder if someone does not like this poor fellow? He is still there at 3pm local picking up the loose coal one piece at a time and tossing it into the bucket of the loader.

Not sure what is going on, but in the last hour someone repositioned the Cumbres cam that faces the tracks and I love this angle. If it stays like this we will always see 215 but 216 will still stop out of frame. Oh well, that was too good to be true. Its been moved back to the normal position. Well that one shot allowed us to see how big that ballast pile is up there.

Great capture, Sharon. Sure wish it has stayed that way!

Well the maintenance done on the cams was really effective.

Arrival of train 215: Hear the whistle and it sounds like 487 has come back.

With the nice sunny afternoon, passengers are enjoying the open gon to the last moment.

will it be possible to ever have that angle again? it almost took me by surprise when I saw it!

James Hook wrote:will it be possible to ever have that angle again? it almost took me by surprise when I saw it!

I think that a tech was up there adjusting the cams and he swung it around when we saw that grab. These cameras are owned by Colorado DoT and we have no control over where they are aimed.

oh. I see. I wonder if 463 will ever return to Chama?

To close out the rock-slide issue --- this was posted on the railroad's Facebook page with a note that it was cleared as of this morning, which was posted earlier.

holy crap! I hope it didn't cause too much damage to the tracks!

Sharon Evans wrote:

James Hook wrote:will it be possible to ever have that angle again? it almost took me by surprise when I saw it!

I think that a tech was up there adjusting the cams and he swung it around when we saw that grab. These cameras are owned by Colorado DoT and we have no control over where they are aimed.

Nice catch on the Cumbres cam Sharon!!!! Yes it's too bad we couldn't get them to move that cam the way we'd like it, but we have to be happy we get anything from up there.

I noticed behind the ballast pit that there was what appeared to be a set a narrow gauge tracks, anyone have any ideas what those tracks behind the ballast pit were used for?

Here's the 216 video from today - note in the beginning the picking up of the fire patrol speeder (as Sharon noted above) and moved in front of #15 - though kept on the forklift. Later in the day, they turn and re-rail it.



Train 215 Returns - once again they switch locomotives in Osier -- 463 remains the daily workhorse out of Antonito.



As 487 was coming to the ash pit, a speeder was brought in on a trailer and put on the rails. Now sitting beside the roundhouse attached to the tank for the fire patrol, likely we'll see this one go out tomorrow, but will have to turn down at the wye first.



Sharon had noted earlier the worker picking up coal piece by piece - well the whole story seems to be he was down on the West side of the water tank working for a while, then moved to the East side and was shoveling? something into the bucket. Then came back with a bucket full of ballast?, then took 3 scoops of coal, as much as possible, by machine before cleaning the rest up by hand. Just the part near the coal dock is in video.



That's a wrap on another day of Chama yard activities!

I also note that they have staged the 4th coach in front of the train on the main, so maybe an 8 car train tomorrow.

Sharon Evans wrote:I also note that they have staged the 4th coach in front of the train on the main, so maybe an 8 car train tomorrow.

Tomorrow starts the Cinder Bear trains, and from what I remember from past years that first coach is always used for that -- so perhaps that's why the 8th car added?

Sharon Evans wrote:Not sure what is going on, but in the last hour someone repositioned the Cumbres cam that faces the tracks and I love this angle. If it stays like this we will always see 215 but 216 will still stop out of frame. Oh well, that was too good to be true. Its been moved back to the normal position. Well that one shot allowed us to see how big that ballast pile is up there.

7.5.16 Cumbres CDoT cam.jpg

Perhaps a gremlin might return someday and give it another nudge...
Great capture!!!

Larry Sullivan wrote:

Sharon Evans wrote:I also note that they have staged the 4th coach in front of the train on the main, so maybe an 8 car train tomorrow.

Tomorrow starts the Cinder Bear trains, and from what I remember from past years that first coach is always used for that -- so perhaps that's why the 8th car added?

Looks like I will be experiencing this Cinder Bear thing first hand since one of the days its running is 7/31 which will be my Chama - Antonito train ride and the Sunday before I will be chasing so can get up to Cumbres to film the whole thing as they get off the train with Cinder Bear.

Larry Sullivan wrote:To close out the rock-slide issue --- this was posted on the railroad's Facebook page with a note that it was cleared as of this morning, which was posted earlier.

If you follow the tracks behind the speeder, it appears they are curving into Rock Tunnel. If so, this slide is about 30 yards from the tunnel entrance

Pete Dahlberg wrote:

Larry Sullivan wrote:To close out the rock-slide issue --- this was posted on the railroad's Facebook page with a note that it was cleared as of this morning, which was posted earlier.

If you follow the tracks behind the speeder, it appears they are curving into Rock Tunnel. If so, this slide is about 30 yards from the tunnel entrance

In one of the shots that I saw, you could see the Garfield monument to the west of the slide. It looked to me about 15 feet west of the railing just outside of Rock Tunnel.

James Hook wrote:I noticed behind the ballast pit that there was what appeared to be a set a narrow gauge tracks, anyone have any ideas what those tracks behind the ballast pit were used for?

Originally there was a siding which split from the main in front of the section house. A couple of years ago the segment of track which you see was pulled out of the siding and put in back of the section house. I don't know why it was done or if the siding will ever be made whole.