Cumbres & Toltec
Thunder Chicken Rides Again!
May 20, 2013
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The big day finally arrived and, as usual, morning came early. Tim Tennant rented a 15 passenger van for the film crew and select others to make the trip to Antonito, in lieu of riding the busses. The film crew staged our vehicles at Cumbres so that we could chase and film the train down to Chama that afternoon. On the way up, I saw my first elk near Lobato Lake. I was the first to arrive at Cumbres and quickly got my camera out for a few photos of the freshly fallen snow. Little did I know then that it was a foreshadowing of things to come! I truly love Cumbres Pass. It’s one of my most favorite places on Earth. The still, cold morning air was as invigorating as the history of the place. I grabbed a few quick photos before the guys showed up, shattering the quiet. We piled aboard the van and went over the passes to Antonito.
In Antonito I finally got
a chance to meet Carlos Llamas, who has recently returned to the
C&T. Carlos is a 3rd generation railroader on this line
and is as nice a guy in person as he was on his photo website. From
2004 to 2007 he and Roger Hogan ran a site called
Cumbres & Toltec Shops that featured
Carlos’s photos taken while serving as an Engineer. I found the site
shortly after our first visit in 2006 and my fascination and
intrigue with the railroad grew exponentially with every update.
Unfortunately Carlos left the railroad in 2007 and the website was
taken down. I had the
The Antonito departure, with 487 assisting, was filmed by the DVD crew. The train stopped just past the Highway 287 crossing and we boarded the Parlour Car. I walked the length of the train as I made my way to my seat in the first coach. In EVERY car I knew someone. Ted and Linda Smith, John Engs, Sam Seiber, Bob Ross, Mary Jane Smith, Rich Murray, Jon Walden, Nathan Holmes, Nathan Zachman, Barry Bogs, Blake Bogs, Brian Jansky, Ernie Robart, Tim Tennant, Evan West… plus the film crew guys I knew: Roger Hogan, Dennis Tebo, and Steve Forney. It was a pretty wild experience!
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Work Extra 463 West |
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Cumbres Pass in the freshly fallen snow |
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Michael Ripley poses for a photo by Roger Hogan. It was an honor to finally meet Mr. Ripley. He's a helluva good guy. |
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C&T #19 shuffles some coaches |
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"Thunder Chicken" departs Antonito
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Engineer Max |
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Heading west towards Narrow Gauge Country |
Sam Furukawa's helicopter shadowed the train all morning. Mr. Furukawa was a major contributor to the restoration of #463 |
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Engineer Carlos Llamas |
Jake & GM John Bush |
463 at Gravity Hill |
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A few more shots at Gravity Hill
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C&T Engineers Max & Jake These two gentlemen did the bulk of the work rebuilding the 463 |
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Whiplash Curve |
Big Horn Wye |
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The trip west was going great until a mile or so past Lava Tank. There we experienced the first of several hot boxes on the coaches. At Big Horn, 463 was running low on water. So, while another hot box was repaired, the 487 took water from the Water Car just behind. Then, ’87 was switched onto the west leg of the Big Horn Wye and 463 backed up to get water. The whole operation took over an hour to complete. These delays killed our chances for run-bys at Rock Tunnel, Cascade, and Los Pinos. At one point I passed Tim Tennant and remarked that I was going to start a rumor that lunch would be skipped to save some time. With a look of horror on his face, Tim asked me not to do it. I smiled and told him I was kidding.
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Big Horn Wye |
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Because the hose was too short to reach from the water car to 463's tender, 487 and 463 dosey-doe on the west leg of the wye so that 463 can take water.
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Taking water at Sublette. Engineer Carlos Llamas does the honors for K36 #487
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Just as we began the departure from Big Horn something wild happened. It started to SNOW! The snow continued in varying degrees all the way to Osier. At Osier it was really coming down and, despite being hungry, the DVD crew raced to get good shots. My Christmas cards for the next few years will likely come from that batch of photos. It was spectacular!
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Arriving at a snow-covered Osier. Woo Hoo! |
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I wanted a unique shot, so I scaled the Coal Dock! |
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Here are 3 versions of the same shot. The last (right) is my favorite.
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My buddy, Jon Walden (D&S Fireman), grabbed these photos of me in Osier. I was standing on the Osier Coal Dock in the left photo. The one on the right might just be the finest photo ever taken of me!
Thanks, Jon!
There are a few more of Jon's photos at the bottom of this page.
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D&S railroaders Isaac Randolph and Jon Walden |
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Sam's Ride |
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Winter's remnants in Cumbres Yard |
Arriving at Cumbres |
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Preparing to depart Cumbres |
Heading for Windy Point |
Crossing the old Highway 17 road near Perry's Pond |
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Despite early reports that it would be skipped, the run-by at Tanglefoot Curve / Cumbres Loop happened. As soon as the train stopped I began my hike to the Section House at Cumbres per the plan established the night before. By the time I got there I was gasping and wheezing like an old man. There just ain’t much air at 10,000 feet!
463 and 487 did a dosey-doe at the east end of the Cumbres Wye and 487 took off light for Chama while 463 re-coupled to the train. I got footage of “Work Extra 463 West” departing Cumbres and then jumped in the van with Brian and Blake and the CHASE WAS ON! We stopped at Perry’s Pond, Orgasm Point, 2nd Hwy 17 Crossing, Dalton, Lobato, and The Narrows on the way down the hill. Back in Chama I set up on the Gramps Oil Dock for what I hope is a unique view of 463 triumphantly arriving in Chama.
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Perry's Pond at Coxo |
Near the 2nd Hwy 17 Crossing |
2nd Hwy 17 Crossing |
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Back in Chama, I assisted Roger
with getting some video of 463 going around the Wye,
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463 arriving with a freight from Durango! ...or so it would seem.
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About an hour into the night shoot, my old Canon S3is died. She'd been having problems all day and I coaxed her into working for a few final shots that night. Then she gave up the ghost. It's well past time for a new one and Michele and I are already eying a new Canon Rebel. |
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From the Camera of Jon Walden Cox
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Working on a hot box |
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Osier, Colorado |
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Osier, Colorado |
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Tanglefoot Curve / Cumbres Loop |
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Near Dalton
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Brian Jansky and I hustling at Dalton, New Mexico |
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