D&RGW narrow gauge: Back to scenics.

[JZ]

In this view the two locomotives are again together, but minus the Jordan Spreader. No. 483 has dropped back and coupled it onto the rest of the train and is now back to couple on to No. 480. The area around here looks like California in the summer time, but the water tank provides mute evidence that this is not summer! March 14, 1963.

[JZ]

Here we see Denver and Rio Grande Western No. 483 K-36 2-8-2 Mikado Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1925 at Cumbres, Colorado on January 21 1949.

Photo by Robert W Richardson

[didcot]

Wow that's some snow build up.

[JZ]

Another Tom Gildersleeve photo. 

In this overview of the area the freight behind No. 5102 can be seen heading for the perlite plant south of town while the flanger train sits at the end of the Cumbres line. The crew of the flanger train had gone to beans after rearranging their train and watering up and can be seen walking back to their train. Once the switch clears it will be thrown for the flanger train, which will come out onto that trackage with spectacular display of smoke and steam as it accelerates north to Alamosa. Antonito, March 14, 1963.

 

"Going to Beans" was a term from ages ago as the crews would have their lunch break and you would find them in a local "beanery". That was the names of some of the restaurants and so it was passed down through the generations.

[JZ]

As soon as the southbound freight clears the switch is thrown and the flanger train enters the track toward Alamosa and accelerates with a spectacular show of steam and smoke. You can see the caboose of the receding freight in the background, still painted black but probably for not much longer. Antonito, March 14, 1963.

 

[JZ]

After much waiting  and many delays, this has just arrived.

 

And just one of the cracking photo's contained within.

 

This book arrived a week or two back, but only just got around to reading it.

A lot of very modellable short trains, rarely exceeding 5 cars, usually a freight car or three, plus an RPO and passenger car. Evidently caboose were rarely, if ever seen on the Chili Line.

[JZ]

The two engines of the flanger train are in your face as they pull past me. Antonito, March 14, 1963.

[JZ]

This is the rear end of this rather unusual train. I found flanger trains to be unique and really kind of neat trains to photograph; two locomotives pulling two pieces of snow fighting equipment and two cabooses. It was like a caboose hop on steroids, and the San Luis Valley between Antonito and Alamosa was like a raceway (a narrow gauge 30mph raceway) for these trains. You could photograph the train and leapfrog the train to the next spot for more photo ops. The scenery was relatively monotonous but the action varied from one spot to the next and they could put on a pretty good show at times. The northbound trains headed for Alamosa had already done their day's work on Cumbres by the time they got to Antonito and the crews would be anxious to get home. It was usually around sunset when they arrived in Alamosa, which made for interesting light for photography. I spent ten days on the narrow gauge in March of 1963 shortly after having been released from active duty in the Air Force, and during that time I saw three of these trains, two northbound and one southbound. I never saw another flanger train after that and the railroad shut down winter operations over Cumbres after the 1963/64 season. It was some of the most interesting and exciting train chasing I ever did. Antonito, March 14, 1963.

[JZ]

The ex County Donegal project has been sitting on the shelf for a few months now, so it was time to dust it off and give it a coat of paint. I have been deliberating on the colour scheme, whether Pullman green, all silver or black with a yellow or orange window band. In the end I went with this.

 

 

A little touching up to do, then get glazing and interior done. Still to work out how to articulate it. Why number two I hear you say? Well, it was the only low number I had three of in black in the small size, there is on on the back, and two of the large size for the sides.

[JZ]

 

 

About two miles north of Antonito the flanger train rumbles across the north branch of the Conejos River. It was the only time on this chase that neither locomotive provided any exhaust effects for my camera. March 14, 1963.

Tom Gildersleeve.

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KeLe7jDGEgsZshZ17

Edited December 26, 2023 by JZ

[John Besley]

Great photo story from Tom

[JZ]

GE 23ton Boxcab. Grandt Line kit. Picked up cheaply as an unmade kit on ebay. Unpowered. Just wanted fancied it as the depot shunter. Still some work to do, I must get something for the interior, but cannot find any photos. In reality it the cab should be all over yellow, but often remote depots took a liberty with their colour schemes.

[JZ]

Last of the Tom Gildersleeve photo's this year.

The flanger train traverses a grassy area a few miles north of the river crossing. It looks very much like southern California in the summertime but the climate here is anything but that. March 14, 1963.

Tomorrow we will have not one, but three pictures of the month.

[JZ]

Picture(s) of the month.

From 2017

 

From 2018

 

From 2023

[JZ]

A few miles north of my previous photo the flanger train demonstrates what a narrow gauge train at "raceway" track speed looks like. He's probably "scorching" the ballast at around 30mph! March 14, 1963.

[JZ]

A bit of an indulgence, but the price was very good and I have fancied one for a while.

On30 Bachmann Mogul. I will look around for a couple of cars, maybe a boxcar and a gondola, plus a caboose. It will be set up on the decking in the summer for the Grandkids.

PS. The rods aren't red, it's the reflection of my shirt.

 

Edit: Chucked in a silly offer on a Bachmann C&S boxcar before I went to work this morning. Now find it has been accepted. So, just a gon and caboose to go.

 

Edit 2: Just had the email to say that my HOn3 annual is on the way.

Edited January 2 by JZ

[Keith Addenbrooke]

I had a good look at a Bachmann On30 Mogul like this last time I was in the Hobby Shop.  Looked very nice, but I didn't fancy moving up to a bigger scale for buildings, etc.  Problem largely avoided if you go outside.  Good idea, Keith.

[PaulRhB]

3 hours ago, JZ said:

bit of an indulgence, but the price was very good and I have fancied one for a while.

On30 Bachmann Mogul.

yeah, I started with just one of those . . . 
 

 

😉 can you fit On3 curves on a higher level? 😈

[JZ]

7 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

yeah, I started with just one of those . . . 
 

 

😉 can you fit On3 curves on a higher level? 😈

This is how the HOn3 started. But, no, this is strictly something to stop the girls, well Lucy mostly, wanting to play with the HOn3.

[PaulRhB]

Shoulda taken the opportunity to accidentally buy the LGB one 🤣 

[JZ]

Now added a gon, flat and caboose. And that is it..................Honest.

[JZ]

Now I need to find someone to make this decal in white for the tender and caboose. I can use existing decals for numbers, from HO scale tender rears.

 

Edited January 3 by JZ

[JZ]

Tom Gildersleeve

The flanger train continues to trundle north toward Alamosa. The sun is getting ever lower in the western sky, which makes for great lighting on the train, giving a good view of the Jordan spreader and flanger. It will be gone by the time the train reaches Alamosa. March 14, 1963.

[JZ]

On 02/01/2024 at 16:21, JZ said:

Now added a gon, flat and caboose. And that is it..................Honest.

And a reefer.

[JZ]

 

Still t find someone to get the transfers from for the loco and caboose. I have considered dry transfers, but finding them in any form of Railroad Roman hasn't been easy in that WS do a sheet, but in the size I want, there is only 3 Rs, not much good when you need 4.

Edited January 6 by JZ