RGX 2012 - Trip Report
June 14 - June 23
Day 3 - Saturday, June 16
|
CRM Executive Director Don Tallman took REALLY good care of his VIP guest. The tens of thousands of people that visited that weekend for GooseFest were bussed in from parking lots miles away. Having slept in a bit after the night photo shoot, I arrived at the gate and found barricades. To make matters worse, the overflow lot across the street was completely full. On a whim I decided to flash my VIP Pass to the gate guard and to my astonishment I was ushered in past the barricades and into the main lot right next to the Depot.
SCORE!!
That alone was well worth the price of the pass. All of my future events at the CRM will definitely be of the VIP nature. My hat's off to Don and his team.
Please let me know if you find mistakes - RioGrandeDude @ SmittysHouse.net
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
One after another the Geese waddle out of the nest and onto the turntable. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
RGS Motor #1 |
RGS Motor #2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
RGS Motor #4 |
|
RGS Motor #5 |
|
|
|
|
|
Goose #5 Caretaker, Larry Spencer |
|
My favorite, Goose #6 |
|
|
|
|
|
RGS Motor #7 |
||
|
Launching Geese |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No Agua Tank |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Parading Geese Around the Loop
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Left) Jim Barton |
|
|
|
|
|
My first trip on the newly restored Goose #4. This is the final Goose to be restored to service. She sat mostly untouched in Telluride for 57 YEARS! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This 3-way stub switch came from Dolores, Colorado and all of these Geese once rolled over it in service. Bob Richardson purchased and removed the switch himself. |
Barry Bogs (center) The Man. The Myth. The legend. |
View from Goose 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inside Goose #6, some wag installed aircraft-style altitude and horizontal displays. ME LIKE! |
Goose #4 as seen from the cockpit of Goose #6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRM Executive Director Don Tallman takes his first ride on Goose #6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blake Bogs on Goose #6 |
||
|
Around the Loop on Goose #1
Some time that afternoon I met up with Jon Walden, a Fireman on the D&S. Jon and I are email pen-pals and I'm sort of living vicariously through him. While I'm trapped in an office dealing with corporate politics all day, he's running steam locomotives through the Rocky Mountains.
He just happened to be in town for a wedding (not his) and stopped by the Museum on his way back to Durango. It was great to sit and chat about the railroad for an hour, face to face. He's a cool guy and he's got GREAT railroad stories. I hope he writes them down and does a book someday.
I also got to meet Clovis Butterworth (GothPapa on the NGDF). He's a pretty cool dude.
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heading around the loop... |
|
|
|
|
|
...on Goose #1 |
Craig Linn. A really cool guy. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
While waiting for our VIP Goose dinner (not kidding), Nathan Zachman, Nathan Holmes, Blake Bogs, and I grabbed some impromptu photos in the nice sunset light. This is commonly called "the magic hour." |
||
|
|
|
|
|
318 in magic hour light |
After dinner, Stan Rhine gave a lecture on the history of the Goose fleet. |
|
+