Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

Right now all 11 cars from yesterday are on the main as noted last evening. What will happen we need to wait and see.

Morning preparations for train 216: 489 and 484

489 has moved down to the water tank as 484 comes over the pit.





489 has pulled out from the coal dock and 484 is at the tank.

Morning preparations continued and departure of train 216: 489 road locomotive, 484 helper to Cumbres and 11 cars: 7 coaches, café, open gon, tourist and parlor. If there are flip back coaches today, it will be one or two of the flat roofed ones at the front.
Right now its not a very nice day in Chama, 40 degrees and raining.





So the end game of that switching was to move the back flat roofed coach to the front of the consist. We now have: 2 flat roofed coaches, the 2 green coaches and the regular consist.






Train 216 comes by the tipple.

Train 216 departure continued:


Probably 484 since they usually cut off the helper just short of the 17 crossing.

Well this is kind of interesting. 484 back from helper duty, turned the wye visited the ash pit, went behind the shop, then to the water tank -- all normal. Now they have gone to the South yard and hooked up to a caboose, several folks in the locomotive as well.



I've heard air get dumped a couple of times, wondering if they are doing something with the air system.

Caboose hop somewhere????

As I have been watching I believe I have seen Mr. Bush, Ed, the road crew still on duty and other people.

Arrival of train 215: 463 and 10 cars
It will be after 5pm MDT before this train gets into Chama.

The 1555 shot just came up and 215 is still at Cumbres. Gone on the 1605.


There are still a number of passengers in the open gon.

6:30 local time finds 463 at the ashpit and tank.

After 463 brought in 215 and turned the train, they came to the ash pit. 484 pushed the caboose they had been hooked to all afternoon back into the South yard, then went over and took off 3 cars from the 215 trainset - so looks like 7 car train tomorrow. I would imagine as we get into the last two weeks the loads may be lower, as they normally seem to be in past years. I'll get video up, probably in the morning.

484 still sitting in the South yard after dark, looks like they were doing quite a bit of switching down there.

Here's 216 and 215 for the day. There was quite a bit of switching by 484 late, but mostly distant so I didn't put together video, but as usual if anyone wants it let me know!!!