Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

A deer visits in the darkness

The final day of work session F seems to be dawning as a wet one, several heavy showers overnight. Forecast for the day is for more off and on showers and t-storms, hope most hold off until later in the day.

You're killing me, Larry. Those gray-scale shots of a cool, rainy morning in Chama are fantastic. Looks like an absolutely perfect morning to sit in the yard and sip some coffee while breathing in the coal smoke and watching the deer. I MISS Chama. It'll be no less than 10 months before I can get backup there... and it's been 10 months since I left. That's a long dry-spell. Is there a 12-step program for this?

Here in my self-imposed exile (due to familial responsibilities), the heat index was 114 yesterday and there's little chance for rain in the foreseeable future. The good news is that fall is only about 4 months away... (yes, my math is correct)...

Jason Rose wrote:You're killing me, Larry. Those gray-scale shots of a cool, rainy morning in Chama are fantastic. Looks like an absolutely perfect morning to sit in the yard and sip some coffee while breathing in the coal smoke and watching the deer. I MISS Chama. It'll be no less than 10 months before I can get backup there... and it's been 10 months since I left. That's a long dry-spell. Is there a 12-step program for this?

Here in my self-imposed exile (due to familial responsibilities), the heat index was 114 yesterday and there's little chance for rain in the foreseeable future. The good news is that fall is only about 4 months away... (yes, my math is correct)...

I hear you on the heat Jason -- well into the 100's for heat index here for most of July, finally getting into daily rain patterns this month, it helps a bit. With luck - October 2017 is my target for being in Chama -- trying to work it into a two week trip, we'll see if the job lets me, but one way or the other I'll get there!

484 First up at the ash pit this morning to prepare for today's train.



More weeding being done this morning as 484 continues to have her ashes cleaned out.



Steam hangs in the air as 484 heads to the water tank.



484 head to the coal dock and gets a tender full of coal.

Steam looks fantastic today - even if it is a little wet. The two engines in front of the west engine house entrance caught my eye.
John

484 has now backed to the coaches, and will soon pull up to boarding position.



216 departs with a bit of a rain shower starting.

489 comes to the ash pit for her daily servicing.

Larry,
What size are the pictures you post (I am assuming you resize screen captures). Like Jason said, the b&w shots earlier are excellent.
Thanks.
John

489 out on the main possibly to do some switching.



489 now at the coal dock.

John Hamman wrote:Larry,
What size are the pictures you post (I am assuming you resize screen captures). Like Jason said, the b&w shots earlier are excellent.
Thanks.
John

They are sized at 640x480 - same size as what's on the web page. I'm not sure why, but it seems pictures posted from various devices post larger. I'll see if I can enlarge those first pics from today without losing resolution. Will work on it a bit later.

489 just headed out of the yard, light - not sure why they would do that unless testing something out.

487 up at the ash pit now, still no sign of 489 coming back.

Could be they are still trying to get the main bearing oilers working correctly, though that is a guess. Have pretty much decided to do it all over again next year.

215 arrives nearly an hour late today. Slick rails and the storms likely kept things slow coming down the hill.







Also just to add that 489 did come back around 2:10 - though still not sure why they went out. Have to wonder a bit if the wet rails and heavier rain bogged down 216 enough that perhaps they needed an assist.

Here's today's video -

Train 216 Departure -



As previously mentioned 489 was out for about 3 hours today, not sure why - perhaps someone can enlighten us, but she was being put to bed as 215 arrived - almost an hour late with the wet weather.

Larr said, "Also just to add that 489 did come back around 2:10 - though still not sure why they went out. Have to wonder a bit if the wet rails and heavier rain bogged down 216 enough that perhaps they needed an assist."

Yes it had to push. No sand in sand dome on 484. Someone forgot to look. Ran around at Labato to help rest of way up.

Tom C.

Tom Casper wrote:Larr said, "Also just to add that 489 did come back around 2:10 - though still not sure why they went out. Have to wonder a bit if the wet rails and heavier rain bogged down 216 enough that perhaps they needed an assist."

Yes it had to push. No sand in sand dome on 484. Someone forgot to look. Ran around at Labato to help rest of way up.

Tom C.

Thanks Tom! I had a gut feeling they went out to help 216. Sand for sure would have been needed yesterday.

Roger posted a video on his page of the new whistle on 484 that also had the stall audio on it. He said it rained so hard he stayed in car to record.

Tom C.