Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec - FriendsOfCumbresToltec.org

Accordibng to the website, excursions ended Oct 21st, yet it appears that 2 locos are still under steam. Can someone explain?

While the tourist season is over there is still work to be done. For instance, one day this week (Wed?) there will be a 'hospital train' taking coaches to Antonito. Once the tourist season is over, the maintenance and repair work starts.

OK, but I was under the impression that most steam roads these days try to conserve "under steam" days because of the the limited time before teardown and ultrasound testing is required. It seems strange to see TWO locos sitting around hot and not doing anything productive.

A lot of the stress on a boiler is not related to the pressures created under steam but simply the heating and cooling of all the different kinds of metals involved. 'Sometimes' it may be better to keep everything 'warm' than cold fireing over and over again. You see lots of steam boilers attached to roundhouses for just such a purpose. Yes they can get going quicker but mainly it reduces the 'cycle' stresses on the boilers. Russ

I talked to Mike and he said there is still a charter running and a night photo shoot involving all four engines coming up, so I suspect that is why they are all hot right now. 487 is going over the hill on wednesday with the hospital train and going to spend the winter in Antonito.

This morning in the dark (6 am Chama time), it looked like there were 4 hot engines in the yard. 1 at the engine house,1 the ash pit, 1 the depot, 1 taking water.