Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

The snow has made it to the Chama yard, at least the first real snow that's stuck around this season - the night time looks just so peaceful. Think I am still seeing some smoke from the shop roof, though it might just be the heaters, we shall see as daylight arrives.

With daylight, we have smoke from the shop stack once again, should see 489 out soon as the door is open.

Moved up to ashpit.

It appears that a semi driver is having a challenging trip over the top this morning.

Now onto the tankaround 7:30.

Out on the main EB at 7:43.

The yard under a fresh blanket of snow awaits the return of the passenger coaches. Will they return this week?

Smoke in Antonito as well ...

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Must be having a power failure in Chama, cams down.

cams are back up

Yes, the cams have been up and then down, and then up and then down... Chama appears to be a place where one can claim, with some degree of legitimacy, to be "off the grid". Must be disconcerting to the residents thereof to carry on daily routines during almost any blip in the weather. However, it does look kind of "Christmassy". Curious about what 489 is doing out there playing in the snow.

Looks like the loader has been busy.

Well Ed, the curiosity extends to what they have been using the 489 for the last several weeks with it going out light every day.

489 has backed back into the yard.

Jeff

The arrival of 489 was followed by a movement of another locomotive from the western side of the engine house to the eastern side.

Jeff

Looks like they moved 484 from east to west after 489 left this am and have just moved it back. All using trusty 15.

And look what just arrived behind the 487! Had to punch through a little snow to get here.

Well now the picture is complete with all K36's now in Chama. Going to be interesting to see which locomotive is kept active for the Christmas train. A speeder just came back and is parked on the tipple track behind the one that was there. Right now they are unloading stuff from it. 489 just headed out of town again light. Also guess that the cars that 487 just brought in were oriented correctly since they only wyed the locomotive.

Nice to see 2 hot locomotives in Chama this late.

They have watered 487, which you would not think they would do if going to dump the fire and winterize her.

The coach set is snuggled up to the depot and now awaits the December Christmas Trains.

Could 487 be going back to Antonito to pull their Christmas trains? On a side note, with the cold, crisp air in Chama today, the whistle symphonies from 489 and 487 this afternoon were awesome!

Well Ed, all the reports that I have seen say all K36's will remain in Chama over the winter so guess 463 pulls the train over in Antonito.

Thanks gents. Had a very busy day today and missed all the fun.

Sure is purdy!

Video uploading to YouTube now, will be done soon -

487 brings back the brand new looking coaches for the Christmas trains in a few weeks. After arrival, 487 heads for the wye and 489 headed out of the yard. I let the video run quite a while and edited trying to keep all the good whistle sounds and train sounds. As Edwin said above, great whistle music in the cold air. Total run time is over 10 minutes, if you want to watch it all.

John Bush as posted a shot of 487 coming back taken at 3d crossing over at NGDF and he noted that 1900 seats have been sold for the Chama Christmas trains this year and it is a sell out.

489 is getting oil cellars put on the main axles so they are testing. I guess they are doing one axle at a time and than seeing how it works.. Remember, they tried it in the spring and had problems so went back to grease for the season.

Tom C.