Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

If we thought they were early yesterday, today they are already on the train.




Looks like they are loading up right now so should be out of Chama soon.

The Friend's Photo freight is underway as steam almost obscures the 489.

The cold, its 27 degrees, and happy riders on the train.





It looks like the rider gons have been dropped at the point that this grab was made.

It is 20 minutes between these grabs so no idea what was happening, but my guess is the 7 stock cars left there yesterday are now on today's train.


According to the Cumbres cam grabs, the special is still sitting in the same place as of the 8:39 grab. As of the 8:49 grab the train is not visible.
With all those cars parked at Cumbres, wonder if some riders chased to there and then boarded the train?

A very long train departs Chama in the early morning darkness. Probably 10 or 12 cars, I didn't count right in the dark.

Morning preparations for train 216: 484 Right now there are 9 cars staged. If we get a double header it will be 463 and 484 since every other locomotive is out of Chama.

We could have a unique situation today. As they are positioned now, 484 is the road locomotive and 463 the helper, this mean 463 will lead up the hill which it usually does not do. This is not going to happen, 484 has pulled into the curve to let 463 water and get to the dock first.



484 is passing the north cam as 463 gets ready to pull into the coal lead.

Continued preparations and departure of train 216: 463 road locomotive, 484 helper to Cumbres and 10 cars, the green coach in front may be a flip back at Osier.


463 came back out with one coach which it attached to the train.










As the train passes the tipple, the 484 whistles for the running brake test.

The 216 at Cumbres .

Jeff

To include the steam plume from 484 behind the trees.

Arrival of train 215: 487 and 9 cars




There are not very many passengers in the open gon on this day.

Here's today's videos -

Train 216 today with another double-header. 463 is the road locomotive, 484 is the helper. It's almost getting routine for these double-headers (not that I'm complaining any!!!) Going to have to figure out how many we've had this year, much more than last I'm sure of that.



Helper 484 returns followed closely by the fire patrol speeder.



Train 215 returns with 487 bringing in a 9 car train.

489 Brings in a 23 car freight, used for the Friends Fall Photo train. Missing are the stock cars, so obviously at some point we'll see them come back -- unless there is another charter planned, or movie shoot or something we don't know about!! Thought I'd split this to two videos, one for each cam - so North cam then South cam views. 489 brought the entire train into the track next to the main, past the depot - no switching was done afterwards.

As noted, it was very cold at the time of the pre-dawn departure, and most of the photographers opted to get up later (when it was lighter and warmer) and meet the train at Cumbers. However, myself and a few others couldn't resist the opportunity to ride, and despite the fact that it was as cold inside the caboose (barring "hot air" accumulating in the cupola ) it was well worth it. None of us could ever remembering riding a steam-powered train in the dark before. As a result, there was one really cool effect: every time the fireman opened the firebox doors, it lit up the smoke plume with a really "infernal" glow. Some of us managed to get a picture of this. I have attached (I think) my best one, taken through a dirty cupola window. And yes, that is frost on the caboose roof. It was there until after the sun rose and the complete freight was assembled at Cumbers.
It was a great experience and my thanks to the Friends who organized this outing.
Rob

Robert Brigham wrote:As noted, it was very cold at the time of the pre-dawn departure, and most of the photographers opted to get up later (when it was lighter and warmer) and meet the train at Cumbers. However, myself and a few others couldn't resist the opportunity to ride, and despite the fact that it was as cold inside the caboose (barring "hot air" accumulating in the cupola ) it was well worth it. None of us could ever remembering riding a steam-powered train in the dark before. As a result, there was one really cool effect: every time the fireman opened the firebox doors, it lit up the smoke plume with a really "infernal" glow. Some of us managed to get a picture of this. I have attached (I think) my best one, taken through a dirty cupola window. And yes, that is frost on the caboose roof. It was there until after the sun rose and the complete freight was assembled at Cumbers.
It was a great experience and my thanks to the Friends who organized this outing.
Rob

Rob,
I had no idea. Thanks so much for posting the picture here - that is really something!
JH

Great photo, Robert. Thanks for posting it.

I've also been priviliaged to experience that in a Chama. Sure is neat... and very hard to photograph.

The only that might be better than that is the scent of strong coffee mixing with the smoke from the coal stove in the Caboose on a frosty morning in God's Country. Heaven.