C&TS Caboose Charter, 2002: 1/3

In August 2002 the Butterworth family chartered the caboose for an outing from Antonito, CO to Chama, NM on the C&TS. The day before the trip was spent in Chama where we saw the 463 doing some yard work and then chased a doubleheader up the hill to Cumbres. This movie in three parts is a record of that weekend.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Cumbres
• Toltec
• Scenic
• Railroad
• Chama
• Antonito
• steam
• locomotives
• narrow
• gauge
• train
• railfan
• caboose
• #463
• #487
• #497
• C&TS

[traindude70]

also back in 2002 we were do in a lot of track work and the tank car was spraying weed killer so we could work on the track.

[gothpapa]

Well, traindude70, was just in Chama and rode on Saturday (7/4). Too bad we didn't cross trails. Ran into Max with a gang of about a dozen guys up at Cumbres preparing to take a carload of brand new ties down the line. It almost brought tears to my eyes, remembering when it was just Max and three or four others on a speeder with a barrel of spikes and a couple of mauls trying to keep the railroad together. How exciting to see all the track equipment and supplies they have to work with now.

[traindude70]

I work in the shop here in Chama and I'm sorry to say but it will be quite some time before #463 is back in service we are not doing repairs on her we are doing a total overhaul on her. Right now she is sitting in the shed till later in the year when we will take her boiler off to work on the frame but for now she sits.

[gothpapa]

Saw the 463 sitting outside the shop, a work in progress. Looked good to me! Am so gladt the resources are there to do that work. Keep 'em steamin'.

[carvinrocks2]

497 and 463 rock!!!

[mafarnz]

I love seeing 497, it's a huge loco for a narrow gage.

[carvinrocks2]

489 is done and out, TWICE. 463 has her boiler off the frame and is currently being restored. 497 might see service again if she's needed but like you said her boiler is not as good as 492. She received a new boiler in 1948 I believe. The other K37 will most likely never run, unless somebody buys 493. The D&S wouldn't have ran 497 after she started needing work, they got rid of her. She'd be retired.

[carvinrocks2]

They change um around......

[carvinrocks2]

She now has her boiler off, what are they doing now? They've had it off for a few months now, and progress since then?

[CaptainAmericalives]

I think someone told me an estimate one time of 200,000 for both.

[durangoandsilverton]

how much, i might buy em

[gothpapa]

With working tanks at Cresco, Cumbres, Los PInos, Osier, Sublette and Lava (well, not sure if Lava is still in service), water for the boilers has never been a problem on the C&TS. On the other hand, the possibility of setting a fire up there is always a concern. During the six years I worked there we set several, but we were always ready for them and never had one get more than a few feet from the track.