2009 Session C: Fisherman signs

[Mike Mahoney]

Session C.

The Whistlepost and Mile Marker gang.

There's a group that works each "C" session that I've had the fortune of being part of for the last 7 years or so. We all find our "niche" and this team has become mine. We of the WP&MM crew tend not to get the "big press" ….heck we're lucky to get our group photo some years ….because, for the most part, we are out on the line. Our gang consists of crew boss Jim Gross, Terry Woolsey, Paul Davenport and myself. When we did the Fisherman signs, John Mitchell was our "fourth man"; John swaps "C" and "D" sessions and he was with us that year. There's also a WP&MM group working the "D" session headed up by Bob Ross. Jim, Terry and myself have been the "C" Session regulars for the past seven years or so. Each year we'd get a new man ...and they'd never come back ...at least not to the WP&MM crew. So, when Paul Davenport arrived on scene in 2010, we figured just another new guy passing through. But Paul was different; he *asked* to come back and work with us in 2011...no one had ever done that before; we figured we must be losing our touch. Paul's a super guy, he fits in great ...even brings his own 4WD vehicle ...and he can letter too. Here's just glimpse of the stuff we do.

Back in 2009 Jim had gotten an e-mail of an interesting photo; it was a picture of a pair of signs that used to exist up by the Garfield Monument. The writer wanted to know why we couldn't put them back …and so the gauntlet was laid down. Terry is our graphics guy and designed a stencil …actually it was a mask …with as close to original font and layout based on the photos we found. Logistics are always the number one obstacle when getting to remote parts of the line …especially with signs and replacement mile posts.

What got us some attention that year was Sonni Honegger; he was a big fan of the "before and after" photograph and thought the tongue-in-check signs were great. And so we got a speeder …from Sublette to Rock Tunnel. Using the historic photos we were able to place the signs …we even found the original post holes so the new ones are exactly where the the originals were.

What makes these signs unique is that they are not, per se, railroad signage. We called them the Fisherman Below signs 'cause …well …that's what or who they reference. If you've not seen them they read:

"Passengers are Requested not to throw any rocks in Gorge as Fisherman are liable to be Below."

Obviously the signs hark back to the days when the San Juan would make a stop at the Gorge an allow passengers to detrain and enjoy the view. There weren't any trees there back then (we had to cut one down to place the sign nearest the monument) so the view was probably a little better. So the next time you ride the train and do the slow roll past Toltec Gorge …check out the very historically correct Fisherman signs. It's the only place you'll find a little "official" humor along the right of way.

One of the original signs circa late 1950's. This one faces Rock Tunnel.

origfishermanbelo.jpg (98.76 KiB) Viewed 5180 times

Here's the sign nearest the monument

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This is one of the new signs ...facing Rock Tunnel. And yes, it is a very steep and deep gorge ....

Here's the new sign next to the monument; it's in it's original hole. We had to cut down a small tree that had grown where the sign went.

My angle on this wasn't quite right. Terry got the right spot and an almost perfect duplicate of the original 1950's picture.

[Jason Rose]

Thanks Mike. This is great information and precisely the reason we created this forum.

My good friend, Larry Gibson (also a Friends Member), is the guy that sent that first email.

[Rich Murray]

Mike, I love those signs!
They add a human interest side to the historical preservation and recreation work of the Friends.
Thank you and the rest of the WP&MM crew for their good works

[Mike Mahoney]

Rich, Jason ...thanks gents ...the kudos go to the whole team 'cause it was a team effort. We started planning long before the work session and, in fact, Jim and I had some face time when I had a layover in LA trying to figure how we were gonna get all this stuff and our crew up there and back. Terry was, and is, a valuable resource for stencils and masks and his efforts are the only reason the signs came out so well.

The hardest part about what we do or try to do are the logistics ...in this case we thought we had it all figured out (right!); the perfect plan. Unfortunately when we showed up for the work session we found those carefully laid plans of mice and men ....well you know the rest. Sonni saved the day for us with a dedicated speeder and trailer from Sublette. Without the speeder we were probably going to have to hike to or from Osier...we do that a lot ...the hiking ...with paint cans, shovels and pry bars plus our backpack with lunches ...sometimes it's the only way to travel. And it's why our return rate for the fourth guy has been zero until Paul arrived. The donated 4WD F250 the Friends got has been a real boon and we've added it to our logistics arsenal; it's what got us out to Lava this past year. I put a little write up on our adventures to Lava in the "structures and locations" section. Depending on the C&TS for our transportation needs is always a bit iffy although we seem to manage most times; being self-sufficient is much better and the truck gives us that freedom.

[Russ Wood]

Question about the Cresco sign? Is it lettered or routed and then painted? Is all signage on the right of way done in the same manner? Russ

[John Cole]

Hi Mike, were you part of Bob Ross's sign painting crew years ago when we ran a bunch of you milepost sign painting guys from Antonito to up by Lava tank? If so I think our paths have crossed.

[Mike Mahoney]

Russ ... the signs are painted and then lettered; we don't use any routing of the letters/numbers. The original signage was not done that way and so we have to keep it "historically correct". If it is a new or replacement sign we use stencils to outline the lettering in the correct style for the year and then hand-paint it. Sometimes we do it all in Chama ...like the Fisherman signs ...but most times we prep as much as possible and then do the lettering/numbering (the filling in of the stencil outline) out on the line.

[Mike Mahoney]

John ...was that you running the restored speeder??? The famous "Keystone Cops" episode with Tulley spreading Agent Orange to kill the sage brush over there?

If that was you then yeah, we did cross paths. It was Bob Ross, Bob Tulley, Terry Woolsey, John Mitchell and myself plus you and your wife(???). I remember there being a woman up there in the speeder. Bob and Bob and I were in the trailer. LOL ....one of the more memorable moments of work session lore.

I have never seen that speeder ever again since that day up to Lava and back ......

[John Cole]

Well, we won't put all the details up on the INTERNET, but yes that was me running the pop car. That and the #13 car's 1 lunger was the first engines that I have ever rebuilt that were made before WW2. We had Ruben Pacheco as our pilot and after we dropped you guys off before Lava, we went about 2 miles past the tank and turned the speeder around and were pushing that trailer back to Lava with Bob Tully and Ruben dropping herbicide on all of that sagebrush with Joanie reloading their cans. We were almost back to Lava when we had to stop and run and pick you guys up. Before you got on, it was just Joanie and Bob on the trailer. Joanie said later that the trailer was quite light on the rails, and she and Bob were holding on tight until we stopped and picked you guys up. Once we got the extra weight of your team, the trailer tracked a whole lot smoother. That was the only time I ran one of those speeders in high gear, and boy, were we moving! Remember why we stopped about half way back to Antonito?

BTW, #04 (the one we used that day) and #13 are doing fine in the new speeder shed and are waiting for their next assignment.