Day 3 - Saturday 5/23/2015 - Opening Day of the Cumbres & Toltec
This was the opening day for the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and I was eager to take part of the festivities. This would also be E's first ride on the C&TS since 2010.
I was up early this morning and in the train yard to watch the engines get ready for the day. The 484 was already getting water by the time I made it to the yard and the 488 was getting her fire cleaned. The 488 then went back to the engine house and the 489 came out to the ash pit. I was told that the GM (John Bush) wanted the 489 and 484 that day because he had a photo of those two on a freight on May 23rd some odd years earlier but I also heard that the 488 had an issue with its ash pan so it was swapped out. Either way, I followed the engines around the yard as they were serviced and got some of my all time favorite pictures during this time.
Emily had dropped me off at the yard then went back to the hotel to get ready. She then got some coffee in town and shopped a bit before finding me in the yard. We both thought the opening day / Memorial Day ceremony was a bit long but nice. It seems to me the railroad didn’t let the speakers know they shouldn’t talk forever. It was still a worth while experience and a must do if you are around for opening day. We enjoyed the ride a lot and spent most of the time in the open air gondola. It is now a tradition (I think) for opening day to be a double header out of Chama and the 484 and 489 put on an amazing show!
In Osier, we saw the 463 arrive with the Antonito train. After lunch, one of the Friends of the C&TS members (John Engs) opened up recently renovated station in Osier for us to look through. There was a group from the D&S there on the ride and we got to visit with them a bit on the platform behind the 484 after the lunch stop in Osier. One of the D&S people, a tall lanky guy, that next Monday was going to be his first day in brakeman school in the D&S. We took the bus back and chatted with Jason at The Hotel again as he was leaving in the morning for Houston (he had just came in to work on the web cams). He chased the train and got video of it. We then hit the High Country again for dinner and enjoyed the mountain air a bit before bed.
I was up early this morning and in the train yard to watch the engines get ready for the day. The 484 was already getting water by the time I made it to the yard and the 488 was getting her fire cleaned. The 488 then went back to the engine house and the 489 came out to the ash pit. I was told that the GM (John Bush) wanted the 489 and 484 that day because he had a photo of those two on a freight on May 23rd some odd years earlier but I also heard that the 488 had an issue with its ash pan so it was swapped out. Either way, I followed the engines around the yard as they were serviced and got some of my all time favorite pictures during this time.
Emily had dropped me off at the yard then went back to the hotel to get ready. She then got some coffee in town and shopped a bit before finding me in the yard. We both thought the opening day / Memorial Day ceremony was a bit long but nice. It seems to me the railroad didn’t let the speakers know they shouldn’t talk forever. It was still a worth while experience and a must do if you are around for opening day. We enjoyed the ride a lot and spent most of the time in the open air gondola. It is now a tradition (I think) for opening day to be a double header out of Chama and the 484 and 489 put on an amazing show!
In Osier, we saw the 463 arrive with the Antonito train. After lunch, one of the Friends of the C&TS members (John Engs) opened up recently renovated station in Osier for us to look through. There was a group from the D&S there on the ride and we got to visit with them a bit on the platform behind the 484 after the lunch stop in Osier. One of the D&S people, a tall lanky guy, that next Monday was going to be his first day in brakeman school in the D&S. We took the bus back and chatted with Jason at The Hotel again as he was leaving in the morning for Houston (he had just came in to work on the web cams). He chased the train and got video of it. We then hit the High Country again for dinner and enjoyed the mountain air a bit before bed.
Jason's trip report of his time in Chama in late May 2015 can be found here. He also did a video of the open day train that we rode which is below and can be accessed directly here.