Congrats Dave, that’s great, this has been one heck of a thread to see all the work that’s involved with this engine.
I reread the thread and I was curious about the Casey Jones railcar on page 1, is it operational? seams that would be a terrific thing to have running.
Vic, Thanks for the good comments, a Working steam Engine does take a lot of maintaince.
The “Casey Jones” is owned by the San Juan County (CO) historical society. It has been restored and it is operational ( battery probably needs a charge after the winter) and the SJHS does run it on occasion.
They have no tracks of there own, other then the spur off the loop in Silverton and in front of the SN engine house. It’s a pretty neat little thing. Would look good on the Pizza.
Ok gang, sorry about not posting more pics, Life and paid work sure gets in the way of the things we want to do. Promise to post more pics soon.
I leave again in the early am. for Antonito CO, we will re-lite 315s fire again in preparation for the opening day doubleheader with 463, on the C&T.
On Sunday while on the excursion, we took the time to shoot a crew picture. 315 at MP315.
That Sunday also started my formal training as a fireman on the 315. We ran from Osier to Los Pinos. Dennis D. is my instructor and my mentor on firing. On opening day, again under Dennis’s watchful eye and help I will also be helping to fire 315. It’s pretty cool, and there is a lot to mind to while running.
It also fulfills one of my life long bucket list things, to fire a steam loco.
A Lot more pics when I get back home.
“A Lot more pics when I get back home.”
Can’t wait…
Dave, . . . all fantastic . . . keep it coming . . . 
Work and life keep getting in the way…. AAARRRRGGGGGG….
Chama Steam Trains 315 Work Special left the Antonito Depot at 0615, so we could get the morning light, Oops, cloudy and overcast, Oh well.
The consist was 315, BO, Idler flat, Water Tank car,
Tool car, High side Gon, and three Cabeese.
315 work extra in the high desert west of Antonito CO.
With 315 having to provide steam power to pile driver OB, we (315) had to run tender first, as there was no where to turn 315 before Hangman’s trestle.
The “Friends” crew erected OB off the trestle, as there was no room to safely erect on the trestle, and we pulled her into position erected.
And into working position on Hangman’s Bridge.
First stuff from a three day adventure, more to come.
Still pretty in spite of the clouds.
Thanks for sharing.
Great pics Dave. Always fun to check out the updates on this thread.
After setting the OB up and Down @ hangman’s trestle, we hooked up the string again and headed to Gravity Hill. At the reverse loop on top we (315 morning crew) turned the engine foreword and took water from the tanker. 315 had a heavy load up the hill with OB at 75,000+ lbs and a full tank car of water. BTW, OB weighs more then 315.
Taking water on top of Gravity Hill.
Ran on up past Lava Tank (dry, and in need of repair).
And on across the New Mexico high desert ( note the beautiful clouds ).
And on into Sublette ( note: this is the obligatory shot of train @ Sublette, it is in the law books that you have to do this shot).
A real MOW work train, heading to Big Horn to drive pilings.
On the Wye we switched around the OB and the engine so we could get set to drive posts.
The “Friends” set er up and pounded it down.
And I was responsible for getting the steam from 315 to OB from a heavy flexible hose off of our Monkey Tail to the rotating connection on the rear of OB. Yup thats me!
More to come stand by.
Dave, . . . great to see you having so much FUN ! Damn I wish I could be there.
Maybe next spring ( 2015 ). I’ve got the time. Just need to know ahead of activities so that I can schedule travel to be there and spend some time.
Awesome! Great pics, as usual. Congrats on starting fireman training
OK, now I’m curious. In some of the pictures there are class lights on the front of the engine and in others they aren’t there.
In this pic, lights, on either side of the smokebox door.
and in this one, no lights.
and in this one, there looks to be only one light.
I know there has to be some special significance for that, I’m just wondering what it is.
Ken et all, I’ll try to explain. First, the pair of running lights that we have are really rare, and worth a lot of money, if we could even find some more, that being said, we take exceptional care for them, never out of sight, and a watchful eye on them.
In the third picture ( with me ) we were supplying steam to OB, notice where the large steam hose runs? We pulled the fireman’s side light down to prevent from damaging it when OB would swing from side to side. look in the bottom left side of the pic and you can see the top of the light setting there.
In the second pic, we are actually doing a switching move @ big horn wye. We had been running tender first, and the lights are on the back side of the tender. We even (non-prototypical) safety wire then into the brackets, to keep from losing one.
And the Sublette one is the correct lighting for foreword running. Two white lights.
Thank You Dave. I knew there had to be a logical explanation for it. I did see what I thought was the top of the light in the last pic, just didn’t want to make any assumptions.
(they’re not so rare, Ozark Miniatures has hundreds of them @ $5 a pair …oh wait… )
Worked up a few more pics. Work Extra 315 pulls OB and work cars on up the mountain.
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/315%20Antonito/_MG_2222_zpsb7609493.jpg)
Thru Rock Cut.
Late lunch in Osier, and then on out for more pics.
315 with work train on Cascade Trestle.
Someday I WILL light this at night, like an O’Winston Link shot. It’ll be a logistic nightmare but wow what a shot it would be. Very rugged climb and steep. I figure a day packing stuff in, and setting up, the shoot the next night, and then next day packing all the stuff out. Some day I’ll get it thou.
Off to Boomers today, He’s hosting a club meet and eat. I will present him with The winning prize for Mik’s Build Challenge 2014.
I’m speechless…and drooling
Ralph
Dave, sounds like a ‘Photo Extra’ to me
After the trestle shot it was back to Osier for the night. I set up the night shoot for the paying gang and here is what we came up with.
The Crew serviced the ol gal after a hard days work. Not a single glitch all day on 315’s part.
Next morning we pulled a mixed freight out of Osier and headed East to catch the morning light. The next few pics may be out of order?
This is the East side of “Rock Tunnel” Not shot often.
More to come.
Kewl! Keep’em cumin…
More pics from the morning run bys.
If you look in the far background you can see the rail line just below the ridge line. Where it stops near the cliffs is the E. Portal of Rock Tunnel.
And one of the Ghostly pinnacles, of Phantom Curve.
Then back to Osier for lunch.
No afternoon pics at the run bys, As I was firing 315, The start of my official training for Fireman.
WOW WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!
That evening I set up the second of 2 night shoots at Osier. A lot of people think that the new restaurant at Osier is the station, it not. The actual station is about 100 yards to the West, and quite small.
315 awaits her orders at Osier station.
And another night sky shot at Osier station.
(Nope, there is very little Photoshop work to this image. just a slight color correction for the tungsten bulbs)
A few more to come.
