WRP_RailsBeyondRutland_Jan15_3v_Layout 1 11/30
Beyond the Rutland
Rails
Now operated under the Vermont Rail System banner, you’ll see the early operations of the Vermont Railway, Clarendon & Pittford, and the Green Mountain Railroad! From the marble quarry pits to piggyback trailers, from steam excursions to heavy freight!
The “Fall Classic” tripleheader climbs Cumbres Pass in October 2014, approaching the second highway crossing east of Chama, N.M. GREG MONROE PHOTO
No charters ran from 2003 to 2005 due to
the railroad being down to only one working locomotive in 2003 (No. 487), and too few lo- comotives the following years, but resumed with a tripleheader in 2006, then the “Fall Madness” and “Fall Classic” excursions in 2007, 2008, and 2009. A fire which damaged the Lobato (Wolf Creek) trestle in June 2010 prevented any excursions that year. (Locomo- tive 484 and some coaches were trucked to Cumbres Pass for shortened revenue passen- ger trains until the trestle was reopened in June 2011.) Jay’s “Fall Madness” was back in 2013,
From the Rutland’s last gasp to the Vermont Railways modest start, you’ll enjoy great black and white photography documenting this picturesque New England shortline from end to end. A detailed locomotive roster and diverse equipment photos round out this look back at Vermont Railway’s early years. Order your copy today!
VERMONT CLASSIC
$19.95
Plus shipping & handling Order Item #RBTR-CRS
(877) 787-2467
WHITERIVERPRODUCTIONS.COM P.O. BOX 48, BUCKLIN, MO 64631
56 MARCH 2015 •
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with a four-day extravaganza that featured C18 No. 315 and K27 No. 463, two freight trains, and two nights spent at the dining hall at Osier (the remote mid-point lunch stop on the railroad). In 2014 he put together the spring “Work Extra 315,” “Rail Fan Days” in August, “Fall Madness” in September, and the tripleheaded “Fall Classic” in October. To find information on upcoming excursions for 2015 and later, go to
www.goatbbs.com.
Photographing a Chama Steam Excursion
As is the case with some other steam photo charters, it is possible to get good photos by chasing, especially along most of the 13 miles of the line from Chama to the top of Cumbres Pass. However, the vast majority of runbys are held in remote locations far from any ac- cess road (only a few miles between Cumbres and Antonito are accessible by road, and back- country roads into Osier can be treacherous if wet). Riding allows photos at these remote runbys, many at scenic or historic locations. The cost to run an excursion is $12,000 per
day per locomotive plus crew salaries, pre- senting a big problem with an undertaking of this magnitude in covering expenses. These trips, therefore, are not run to produce a profit for the organizers. In fact, most charters bare- ly break even or have even run at an extra cost to Jay and other organizers. (Earl recalls Jim Trowbridge saying if he got a free ticket for himself he did well, and sometimes had
to “buy” his own ticket at several times the cost just to make ends meet.) Still, Jay has kept the price of some of his one- and two-day events that do not include lodging to less than $200 a day. Night open flash shoots are $75; and if you are only interested in a few generic steam freight photos from the road, Jay would appreciate your buying a chasing pass (which includes maps, guidebook and chasing guide, Chama Steam supporter bumper sticker, and permission to be on the railroad right-of-way) for $50 per day to help out with expenses. As many as four different types of locomo-
tives offer good variety for a historic photo collection. The regular workhorses are four of the Rio Grande 480-series 1925 Baldwin K36 class (for 36,200 pounds of tractive force) 2-8-2s. No. 463 is a 1903 Baldwin K27 class 2-8-2 Mi- kado, and the 1895 Baldwin 2-8-0 C18 class No. 315, restored by the Durango Railroad Historical Society in 2007, has run on some photo freights. Stored non-operational in Chama or Antonito are four of the Grande’s K37 490-series locomotives and a fifth K36 (No. 483), along with 1889 rotary snow plow OM and 1923 rotary OY. A fifth type of histor- ic Rio Grande locomotive may soon join these, since the acquisition and restoration to opera- tion of D&RG 1883 Baldwin 4-6-0 No. 168, on display since 1938 in Colorado Springs, Colo., was just recently approved. Speaking of rotary snow plows, if you
would like to photograph one in action, keep your fingers crossed. Eleven plowing events have occurred between 1974 and 1997, some as a charter and some just to clear the line for the summer passenger season (with plenty of chasers). Although there are no plans for a rotary operation soon, rotary OY is in the Chama shops. Special thanks to Earl Knoob, Jay Wimer,
Jerry Day, and Chris Callaway who supplied historical details for this column, and a spe- cial thanks to the Friends of the C&TS vol- unteer group which restores and maintains the rolling stock that is available for photo excursions.
DO YOU HAVE A RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY QUESTION? Send your questions and comments to
camerabag@railfan.com.
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