Day 3 - Saturday 8/28/2021 - An Attempt up the 4% Grade
It was very hard waking up this morning, after the long day chasing and the late night up at Cumbres. However, all four of us had tickets on today's train. The Eureka and Glenbrook were scheduled to depart Chama at 10:10am with a run up the 4% grade to Cumbres with the historic passenger car consists, with a return by 3:15pm. I had seriously considered chasing the train but ultimately decided to ride, as it was my only chance to ride behind the historic engines.
I was down in the yard at a decent time in the morning. The 487 was already getting coal and the 168 was just drifting down into the yard. I do wish I would have gone out on the hill to watch the 168 drift down in the morning light but it was a late night. Probably, due to tired crews, the Eureka and Glenbrook didn't start their servicing as early as anticipated. However, our train was made up and we were leaving the yard by 11:00am. The consists was reduced down to the concession boxcar, coach 256 and coach 292 for the two little engines to take up the grade.
We made good time out of Chama up the grade. We stopped at the siding at Lobato to get more wood. We then proceeded up to Cresco to take water but never started back from there.
I was down in the yard at a decent time in the morning. The 487 was already getting coal and the 168 was just drifting down into the yard. I do wish I would have gone out on the hill to watch the 168 drift down in the morning light but it was a late night. Probably, due to tired crews, the Eureka and Glenbrook didn't start their servicing as early as anticipated. However, our train was made up and we were leaving the yard by 11:00am. The consists was reduced down to the concession boxcar, coach 256 and coach 292 for the two little engines to take up the grade.
We made good time out of Chama up the grade. We stopped at the siding at Lobato to get more wood. We then proceeded up to Cresco to take water but never started back from there.
When we made the stop at Cresco, the Eureka started to have a problem making steam. Without her able to keep steam pressure up, we backed back down into the siding at Cresco. The crew tried to see what was up with the Eureka with no progress. She was eventually taken off the train and moved down to the other end of Cresco siding. Glenbrook tried to move the entire train up the grade with the goal of still making Cumbres but when the engineering hooked up the Johnson Bar, the Glenbrook lost her footing. They realized that we ultimately wouldn't make it so we again backed down to the siding a Cresco. The 425 was called up from Chama to assists so we sat on the coaches and waited on her.
The 425 was put on the point in front of Glenbrook but it was late enough that we needed to wait for the 487 with the normal passenger train to pass us. Anyone that wanted to go back to Chama were welcomed to move over to its train. Cody, Casey and Rachel took the offer as they intended to drive toward Dallas / Ft. Worth still that evening but I stayed on. I had no where to be.
The decision was then made that the 425 and the coaches were needed for the dinner train so we need to return straight to Chama. The 425 then went to Cresco tank to get water and the Eureka was brought up and put back on the point with Glenbrook. The crew of the Eureka had found the problem. Apparently, the blower line came undone in the smoke box. Without the blower to create an artificial draft, when the Eureka stopped for water, the fire died down causing a loss of steam pressure. It was an easy fix once the problem was figured out but it came too late. The freshly watered 425 was then moved to the end of our train to lead us back down to Chama.
The 425 was put on the point in front of Glenbrook but it was late enough that we needed to wait for the 487 with the normal passenger train to pass us. Anyone that wanted to go back to Chama were welcomed to move over to its train. Cody, Casey and Rachel took the offer as they intended to drive toward Dallas / Ft. Worth still that evening but I stayed on. I had no where to be.
The decision was then made that the 425 and the coaches were needed for the dinner train so we need to return straight to Chama. The 425 then went to Cresco tank to get water and the Eureka was brought up and put back on the point with Glenbrook. The crew of the Eureka had found the problem. Apparently, the blower line came undone in the smoke box. Without the blower to create an artificial draft, when the Eureka stopped for water, the fire died down causing a loss of steam pressure. It was an easy fix once the problem was figured out but it came too late. The freshly watered 425 was then moved to the end of our train to lead us back down to Chama.
After our train was made up of Eureka back on the front with Glenbrook and the 425 on the end, the 425 led us slowly back downhill to Chama. It took a while as we slowed way down for some of the curves since all three engines were running backwards. We also stopped at the Lobato Lodge grade crossing for the railroad's fire truck to water the Eureka. We ended up getting back to Chama at 7:00pm.
There was a dinner train scheduled for a 5:00 pm departure with the 168 / 425 and the historic consists with the riders eating up at Cumbres. Our arrival in Chama found the 168 waiting and ready to do the switching. The 425 was immediately taken off to be serviced while the 168 did the switching to prepare the train.
I was tired and hungry so I decided to go hunt down food in Chama as it was nearing 8:00pm. For some reason, Subway was already closed. I tried The Local again and their kitchen was already closed as well. I did have a supply of snacks in the room but was disappointed to say the least. I decided to head out to the first grade crossing to watch the train attack the grade at night as a consolation. No pictures were attempted (but I did attempt to video the run by's) but I can attest that it is something else watching two coal burners spitting sparks in the dark up a steep grade! It was a fantastic sight to see! I recommend watching William Diehl's video of it!
The night had even more trouble for the historic equipment. The 425 was lame the entire climb since it never had a good fire built in it. It has been hurriedly serviced all day and never really worked a good hot fire. So the little 168 did most of the heavy lifting up the grade and did a great job at it! On the way back down the grade, the 168 lost some of her eccentric rods causing the crew to have to go back and find them. The entire outfit didn't get back into Chama until 1:30am with the crews not going off duty until 4:00am. What a day of mountain railroading with late 1800s equipment!
I was tired and hungry so I decided to go hunt down food in Chama as it was nearing 8:00pm. For some reason, Subway was already closed. I tried The Local again and their kitchen was already closed as well. I did have a supply of snacks in the room but was disappointed to say the least. I decided to head out to the first grade crossing to watch the train attack the grade at night as a consolation. No pictures were attempted (but I did attempt to video the run by's) but I can attest that it is something else watching two coal burners spitting sparks in the dark up a steep grade! It was a fantastic sight to see! I recommend watching William Diehl's video of it!
The night had even more trouble for the historic equipment. The 425 was lame the entire climb since it never had a good fire built in it. It has been hurriedly serviced all day and never really worked a good hot fire. So the little 168 did most of the heavy lifting up the grade and did a great job at it! On the way back down the grade, the 168 lost some of her eccentric rods causing the crew to have to go back and find them. The entire outfit didn't get back into Chama until 1:30am with the crews not going off duty until 4:00am. What a day of mountain railroading with late 1800s equipment!