12/17/17 Sunday Christmas trains

[Sharon Evans]

Morning Preparations:

12-17-17 487 moves out from the house to begin the day.jpg (183.91 KiB) Viewed 5062 times

12-17-17 487 is at the pit getting the fire cleaned.jpg (178.02 KiB) Viewed 5062 times

12-17-17 487 is now getting water for its runs to Labato.jpg (188.17 KiB) Viewed 5062 times

12-17-17 487 is now backing toward its train.jpg (185.92 KiB) Viewed 5062 times

12-17-17 487 has now coupled onto the train.jpg (169.99 KiB) Viewed 5062 times

12-17-17 487 has shoved the consist back to the depot.jpg (214.95 KiB) Viewed 5062 times

12-17-17 The train has now moved into the loading position.jpg (147.45 KiB) Viewed 5060 times

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[Sharon Evans]

First train out right at 10:00 am
As with yesterday, I will be posting a composite video of the entire day once all is done.

12-17-17 The 487 is bathed in steam as it gets the first Christmas train of the day going.jpg (164 KiB) Viewed 5047 times

12-17-17 The 487 passes the wood shop.jpg (164.29 KiB) Viewed 5047 times

The 487 blows for the running brake test as it passes the tipple

12-17-17 The platform of the cafe car is empty on this cold morning.jpg (178.6 KiB) Viewed 5047 times

12-17-17 The train is exiting Chama yard.jpg (174.44 KiB) Viewed 5047 times

12-17-17 Train 1 backs into Chama with Santa on the cafe platform along with the conductor.jpg (168.99 KiB) Viewed 5037 times

12-17-17 Train 1 is shoved back to the depot by 487.jpg (190.2 KiB) Viewed 5037 times

12-17-17 The depot cam shows the crowd unloading from train 1.jpg (140.28 KiB) Viewed 5036 times

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[Frank Smith]

Thank U Sharon, Mike, Rick & Larry for all of your posts yesterday. It has been a long dry spell without a C&TSRR Chama post. U guys know how spoiled I am, and until I actually get a life I will be dependent on U.
Larry got a perfect Santa shot on the Café Car vestibule which is limited in size because of the generator. Too bad we couldn't have my favorite, the Parlor Car vestibule.
Thanks for all of the hard work, and until next May take care and stay warm. That will be easier for me here in AZ.

[Mark Sigmon]

The whistle on 487 sounds different to me - more full. Is it just me of the temp, or something else?

[Mike Maguire]

The whistle on 487 sounds different to me - more full. Is it just me of the temp, or something else?

I hadn't noticed this particulary, but the acoustics of the North Yard will change subtly as the trees lose their leaves. Maybe you're hearing a pick-up at the high end as the bare trunks and branches reflect more.

Also, there are two microphones with different sensitivities (south and north) and there is a slight delay (sounds like an echo) fron one or the other depending on which direction the sound is coming from.

Any Acoustic Engineers out there ?

[Sharon Evans]

The whistle on 487 sounds different to me - more full. Is it just me of the temp, or something else?

I hadn't noticed this particulary, but the acoustics of the North Yard will change subtly as the trees lose their leaves. Maybe you're hearing a pick-up at the high end as the bare trunks and branches reflect more.

Also, there are two microphones with different sensitivities (south and north) and there is a slight delay (sounds like an echo) fron one or the other depending on which direction the sound is coming from.

Any Acoustic Engineers out there ?

Mike, according to Jason, the tipple has a single Omni directional mike cabled into both cams, but if he has both the depot and tipple running he would get the echo. Though I have noticed with the tipple only running a slight delay between the north and south, maybe internal working of the cams.

[Sharon Evans]

I have been looking closely at the conductor on these runs and I swear its Ray.

[Mike Maguire]

The whistle on 487 sounds different to me - more full. Is it just me of the temp, or something else?

I hadn't noticed this particulary, but the acoustics of the North Yard will change subtly as the trees lose their leaves. Maybe you're hearing a pick-up at the high end as the bare trunks and branches reflect more.

Also, there are two microphones with different sensitivities (south and north) and there is a slight delay (sounds like an echo) fron one or the other depending on which direction the sound is coming from.

Any Acoustic Engineers out there ?

Mike, according to Jason, the tipple has a single Omni directional mike cabled into both cams, but if he has both the depot and tipple running he would get the echo. Though I have noticed with the tipple only running a slight delay between the north and south, maybe internal working of the cams.

OK Sharon. It's odd that the sound is always louder watching the north cam than the south (here, anyway). That's why I guessed there was one mic. per camera. BUT Jason put them in, so he should know !

[Sharon Evans]

Train 2 is out almost at 11:30 with another full load.

12-17-17 Train 2 is moving close to 11-30.jpg (192.45 KiB) Viewed 5027 times

Train 2 is blowing for the brake test as its by the tipple

12-17-17 Again an empty cafe car platform.jpg (156.14 KiB) Viewed 5027 times

12-17-17 Mr and Mrs Claus are on the platform as train 2 pushes back.jpg (145.43 KiB) Viewed 5015 times

12-17-17 Train 3 is out just a bit past 1 pm.jpg (172.08 KiB) Viewed 5007 times

12-17-17 Someone is enjoying the ride from the cafe car platform.jpg (164.25 KiB) Viewed 5007 times

12-17-17 Train 3 shoves back into Chama with Santa, the conductor and one other on the platform.jpg (196.17 KiB) Viewed 4992 times

There is a large crowd on the depot platform waiting to board train 4.

12-17-17 The passengers are wait to board train 4 as Mr and Mrs Claus are standing by the depot.jpg (159.29 KiB) Viewed 4999 times

12-17-17 The westing sun shines through the smoke of 487 as train 4 gets underway.jpg (179.92 KiB) Viewed 4996 times

12-17-17 After the 487 took on water, the train is moving again with Santa's elves on the back platform.jpg (157.36 KiB) Viewed 4996 times

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[Mike Maguire]

Engine taking water at the tank ...

[Rick Calkins]

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The Christmas Train is Magic. It goes forward to the Depot, while the engine is pointed toward Cumbres. The sounds of happy kids and parents can be heard across the yard. The mid-December sun is bright white which allows for bright colors and colorful skies. The Forum viewport is 800x 450, whereas the initial YouTube picture is 1280 x 720 and even more comfortable to view. There have many fine graphic submissions today - fun to watch, the comments have been succint as well.

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[Sharon Evans]

12-17-17 Train 4 shoves back with a full platform.jpg (195.62 KiB) Viewed 4958 times

12-17-17 Train 5 departs in golden light.jpg (162.34 KiB) Viewed 4958 times

12-17-17 The late afternoon sun lights up the back of the cafe car.jpg (209.2 KiB) Viewed 4958 times

That's it, my feed froze just before train 5 came back into Chama.

[Larry Gibson]

Finally catching up with today's activities. Was out on the CN RR in Michigan today photographing its Santa Train.

On the C&TS a successful season of giving is complete on the Chama side with many meals served do to the generosity of the public who rode and the RR employees who served. The true meaning of Christmas exemplified. Thanks to one and alll. Have a very Merry Christmas!!

[Rick Calkins]

Wow, what a great Christmas Greeting Larry. It gives this last day of Christmas Trains a colorful goodbye.

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Sharon here is some good news. My setup continued all day to receive feed from the Chama cameras, although I receive Jason's Start/Restart icon eighteen(18) times an hour. Thus, there are a few stuck here and there since it became to complicated to extract them from the recordings. You'll notice my posting begin with Train 5 and end when Locomotive 487 is put to bed.

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[Sharon Evans]

That's great about the feed Rick and that you were able to continue the coverage of the day once my feed went south, but I still have my concerns related to your deleting YouTube every couple of months since we want these videos available basically 'forever' so viewers can come and watch them.

[Larry Gibson]

The official totals per the RR's webpage:

The Toys for Tots and Local Food Bank was a huge Santa success.

A total of 3,469 passengers enjoyed the Santa Trains during both weekends in Antonito, CO and Chama, NM. There was a total of 5,925 pounds of food and an estimated 1,263 toys collected, along with $1,200 in cash donations.