Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

Well we have 3 hot locomotives hot in front of the house with 463 in front on the east side. Could we possibly have...
House switch is currently set toward the east lead.

Preparations for train 216:
With a toot of its hooter, 463 has moved out to the pit. The 489 has its headlight on.


463 has moved on to the tank to take water as 489 gets its fire cleaned.

Preparations con't:

Departure of train 216: 463 road engine, 489 helper and 8 cars. Now since 489 can take an 8 car train up the hill, are they sending 463 back to Antonito for another extended period of doing the Antonito to Osier turn?

The fire patrol speeder is getting ready to go also.



The 489 blows for the running brake test as it is past the coaling tower.

Double-header smoke for those of us trying to predict time of arrival at Cumbres.

Jeff

right you are Jeff!

first time I caught Train 216 on the CDOT cam! :D

Nice job!

Really nice catch with the separation of the 2 locomotives.

Thanks Sharon!

Pete, that is one of the things I was thinking when I considered them using the 463 as the Antonito to Osier turn locomotive. They have gotten that locomotive swap at Osier down to a fine art as shown by how little it effected the arrival of 215 toward the end of the last series. I am almost hoping that they are still doing it next weekend when I am there and can go over to Osier and watch.

We are still a week away from the beginning of the next 2 work sessions and some Friends are out there doing things and the wood shop has been open almost every day.

Sharon Evans wrote:We are still a week away from the beginning of the next 2 work sessions and some Friends are out there doing things and the wood shop has been open almost every day.

I know Bob Conry had some stuff which needed to be fabricated for continuing the work on the section house and car inspectors house.

Well, I was trying to pay attention, but 489 got by me so here it is coming back from spinning the wye. The fire patrol is right behind him.

Well, I have seen the loader come back from cleaning the ash pit, but never caught it doing it before. Look to the right of the speeder and you can see the boom of the digger. It now looks like they are actually rebuilding the ash pit.

Preparations for the Sunset Dinner train: Looks like 489 is going back up the hill again today.

Where and how can they turn around and return an engine to where it started from with it facing forward to either Chama or Antonito ?

Thanks Paul

Well Paul, the railroad has various location where there are either wye's or balloon tracks used to turn locomotives. To start there is the wye at Chama, Cumbres has a wye, Osier has a balloon track, Antonito has a balloon track, these are in addition to several others out in the boondocks.

Arrival of train 215: 484 with 7 cars
Be sure to look at Larry Sullivan's video of the arrival of 215. There were 2 mule deer who ran across north yard just as the train was nearing the water tower.

There are a few souls still riding in the open gon at 215 passes the coaling tower.

Departure of train 236, the Sunset Dinner train: 289 and 7 cars





As the 489 is by the coaling tower, the fireman is stoking his fire.

Has anyone seen 487 today? After 216 departed that is.

I just brought up the cams in time to see the Sunset train headed to the wye with the blinking tail light.

Here's videos of the day. Once again apologize for the lateness, last year I had the luxury of being able to edit while I was at work, not so this year with the new job, so sometimes I have to wait until the following day to do the editing. Better late than never?

Train 216 Double-header with 463 as road locomotive and 489 as the helper. 463s whistle sounds like it caught a cold again!



Moved some more of the long lumber around the power pole again, looked like a bit unbalanced load, but all was well. Also 489 and the speeder return after helping 463 up the hill



Difficult to see much, but looks like they were shoring up the hill beside the ash pit with ties. Also 489 moving around getting ready for the dinner train.





Due to sheer stupidity by the operator of this computer we don't have a 215 video today.

The dinner train departs, a nice evening for a sunset ride for sure!



A lone mule deer visits by the sandbox, several others in the yard this afternoon, but this one came close. Afterwards she headed up toward the depot, then back down and over by the bunk house.



The dinner train returns. Note as 489 gets to about the tipple, someone is setting off a bunch of firecrackers on the other side of the street, look directly in line with that electric pole. The North cam view you hear them clearly as they continue to go off. I thought the 4th was a couple weeks ago? I guess they allow them anytime in that area.