Day 1 - Saturday 5/13/2013 - A Long Drive to Chama, NM
The orders from Jason were a 3:30 / 4:00am departure from his house in Spring, Tx. This would require me to leave my house in the Galleria area of Houston probably by 3:00am at the absolute latest. Luckily, Jason offered his guest room. Memory is fuzzy but I believe I got to his house pretty late, maybe 9:00pm and he was still getting everything ready. I tucked my truck into his driveway for storage for the next few days and tried to get settled in for some sleep. I am sure I didn't really sleep much but do remember being woken from the UP mainline that was just beyond his backyard. I hadn't noticed this before at his house, guessing the brush between the tracks and his first floor keeping it quieter.
The alarm went off and I went down stairs to find all quiet. It seemed that Jason had trouble sleeping but was finally up and moving about. I believe Berry and Blake met us at Jason's house around 4 and we were off. I don't remember sleeping during the first part of the drive but Jason claims it was only him away. I can't argue heavily either way but we made good time.
We hit sunrise about Fort Worth and then stopped in Amarillo to see the 2-10-4 Santa Fe steamer know as 'Madam Queen' on display. A group of volunteers were there and we got to go inside the fence to see the massive locomotive! She sure is bigger than anything we were going to go ride on.
The alarm went off and I went down stairs to find all quiet. It seemed that Jason had trouble sleeping but was finally up and moving about. I believe Berry and Blake met us at Jason's house around 4 and we were off. I don't remember sleeping during the first part of the drive but Jason claims it was only him away. I can't argue heavily either way but we made good time.
We hit sunrise about Fort Worth and then stopped in Amarillo to see the 2-10-4 Santa Fe steamer know as 'Madam Queen' on display. A group of volunteers were there and we got to go inside the fence to see the massive locomotive! She sure is bigger than anything we were going to go ride on.
We were back on the road and made good time up through Santa Fe and into northern New Mexico. We stopped in Santa Fe to visit Santa Fe steamer 5030 who is behind a fence in a park there. We didn't stay long and the stop was mostly to just stretch our legs. As we continued north, Blake had the idea to try to visit the station and water tank of the town of Embudo on the DRGW 'Chili Line' that ran from Antonito to Santa Fe. Barry had an idea of where it was so we made a little detour. Both the station and the water tank were obvious but it was also obvious that it was now private land and we didn't venture up to them.
We made it to Chama and took a customary drive through the yard. Almost everything was quiet with no action to speak of. Jason had gotten the last room at The Hotel which was right across from the Chama yard. I grabbed accommodations at the Vista Del Rio just a little out of town while I believe Barry and Blake stayed at the 'Y' Hotel. We grabbed dinner at Subway and then Jason chauffeured everyone to this hotels for the night.
We made it to Chama and took a customary drive through the yard. Almost everything was quiet with no action to speak of. Jason had gotten the last room at The Hotel which was right across from the Chama yard. I grabbed accommodations at the Vista Del Rio just a little out of town while I believe Barry and Blake stayed at the 'Y' Hotel. We grabbed dinner at Subway and then Jason chauffeured everyone to this hotels for the night.
Day 2 - Sunday 5/14/2013 - Chasing the Durango & Silverton
I don't remember if I kept the van at my place or somehow I got to The Hotel to get it, but I was at the wheel with Barry and Blake tagging along as we headed for Durango, fairly early that morning. Jason was part of a Friends work group working on, I believe the webcams so he didn't join us.
I don't remember all of the details but I believe the D&S was running two trains at this time. It doesn't look like we made it to Durango to catch the first train but caught up with the second train and the 482 between Durango and Hermosa. I believe Barry was now driving, allowing Blake and I to get some nice pacing shots of the 482. We followed the 482 all the way to Rockwood before heading straight for Silverton.
As we made it over Molas Pass, we saw a good snow shower in the valley toward Silverton and were blessed with flurries a good portion of the time we were there. It just added to the fun! While we waited for the two trains in Silverton, we checked out the Silverton depot and walked through the equipment stored up there. We watch both trains arrive before deciding we better head back to Durango and a walk through of the museum portion of the roundhouse.
Our drive back to Chama was an uneventful 2 hours fill of train talk I am sure. Back in Chama, we walked the yard a bit and took in all of the history. We all called it a night early since tomorrow was to be the main event!
I don't remember all of the details but I believe the D&S was running two trains at this time. It doesn't look like we made it to Durango to catch the first train but caught up with the second train and the 482 between Durango and Hermosa. I believe Barry was now driving, allowing Blake and I to get some nice pacing shots of the 482. We followed the 482 all the way to Rockwood before heading straight for Silverton.
As we made it over Molas Pass, we saw a good snow shower in the valley toward Silverton and were blessed with flurries a good portion of the time we were there. It just added to the fun! While we waited for the two trains in Silverton, we checked out the Silverton depot and walked through the equipment stored up there. We watch both trains arrive before deciding we better head back to Durango and a walk through of the museum portion of the roundhouse.
Our drive back to Chama was an uneventful 2 hours fill of train talk I am sure. Back in Chama, we walked the yard a bit and took in all of the history. We all called it a night early since tomorrow was to be the main event!
