An Operating Night on the Narrow Gauge - Chapter 2

Picture #1: K-27 #453 has been assigned the eastbound way freight today. It's first order of business is to pick up two cars, a tank car (CONX 33) at the oil dock and a box car (RGS 8715) at the team track. As the layout is continuous running, Gunnison Pickups are always done first and Setouts are done at the end when the train returns to Gunnison.

Picture #2: #453 has gathered its cars and is just about to join its train back together. As soon as the Westbound passenger local arrives, it will be clear to depart for Cimarron.

Picture #3: Extra #453 East has departed Gunnison and is on its way to Cimarron. In the background is the Burnside Mill which f you look closely, you will see a tram going up the mountains to transport ore down. As there is no more surrounding area to dispose of waste material, everything must be hauled away by rail.

Picture #4: Extra #453 East has arrived a Cimarron, and has cut its train in preparation for setting out box car RGS 8715 at the team track.

Picture #5: #453 has nudged RGS 8715 up to the loading platform for Mountain Transport. RGS 8715 was former C&S 8256 and you can still see the old herald and lettering.

Picture #6: Extra #453 East is now headed to Sapinero and has disappeared into a rock tunnel.

Picture #7: Extra #453 East has arrived at Sapinero, and is met by the local Gunnison-Montrose passenger train headed up by C-21 #360.

Picture #8: The local passenger train has departed, allowing #453 to run around its train to prepare for its switching chores at Sapinero.

Picture #9: #453's first task is to pick up bulkhead flat D&RGW 6526 and box car C&S 8268 from the Burnside Mill.

Picture #10: After picking up the two cars from the Burnside Mill, #453 dives into the spur leading to the stockyard to retrieve two stock cars that are to be picked up. Operations protocol is that the newest setouts are put in the deepest, with the theory being that this will make it easier to pick them up in a subsequent session.

Picture #11: Once the new set outs for the stock yards (D&RGW 5793 and 5819) are coupled to the existing cars, #453 pushes the consist back into the spur. It must be the fall stock rush, judging by the traffic!

Picture #12: #453 has completed its duties at Sapinero, and will depart for Gunnison as soon as Extra #375 West has cleared the main.

Picture #13: Extra #453 East is now on its way to Gunnison with caboose 0586 bringing up the rear. If you look closely, you will see Otto Perry standing on the bank, preserving this scene for posterity - and for future publication in one of Dick Dorman's books...

Picture #14: Extra #453 East has now arrived at Gunnison. After spotting its caboose on the caboose track, #453 has run around its train to complete its final tasks.

Picture #15: #453 has spotted the two stock cars destined for the stock yards at the pens. As at Sapinero, the new cars were shuffled in behind the car that was already there.

Picture #16: #453's final task is to set out the remaining cars on one of the storage tracks, ready to be sent on tp somewhere else in the next operating session.

Picture #17: #453 has headed for the roundhouse, but is blocked by a preponderance of motive power! Oh well, one can't be strictly prototypical about everything, can one...?