The pattern of operations remained consistent from the mid-eighties up through
the sale. Most weekday nights a train left Pueblo (symbol MPUAA)
, traveled through Walsenburg, over La Veta pass, and arrived in Alamosa in the early morning.
There the road power was broken up into two local trains, each in the charge of one or more locomotives. The southbound
train took empties (covered and open hoppers) to Antonito, returning later with loads of perlite and scoria. The other
switched the
agricultural and other industries to the west, including handling interchange traffic with the San Luis Central, a
tiny granger road operating around Monte Vista and Center.
The local trains often took a caboose with them, for help on backup moves (though there
were exceptions).
These are what gave the operations special charm in an era when cabooses were nearly extinct.
The surplus road power was left in downtown Alamosa until the return trip. Since anywhere from four to six engines
were the norm for the inbound train, one could find a brace of two to four units idling (and easily accessible) in
Alamosa, most weekdays.
At the end of the day, the locals returned to Alamosa, the outgoing train was made up, the road power reassembled, and
the train (symbol MAAPU) returned to Pueblo in the evening and night hours. One
caboose was left either in the downtown yard
or the East yard
at Alamosa. The second caboose, if one, made the trip to Pueblo, returning on the next MPUAA.
The lumber mill in South Fork deserves special mention. Until late 2000, it shipped carloads of wood chips in
high-sided gondolas, which were loaded right next to US160 in South Fork. It was an interesting operation to watch.
Additionally, it was located directly across from the still-standing water tank. I procrastinated about getting photos
of the operation, and now it has been dismantled...
Fortunately we took one photo in 1982, when oddball AT&SF high-sided gons were still in use.
After that,, one could sometimes see tank
cars spotted in this location, carrying magnesium chloride for delivery to the Colorado highway department for use
as road de-icer.
One recent addition to valley operations (2001?) wass based in the west yard in Alamosa. Logs
The locomotives were exclusively four-axle types, usually something in the GP40 family. Until the early '80s, GP9s were stationed in Alamosa. GP30s made the trip on occasion, up until their retirement. Southern Pacific GP40Ms were typical, mixed with assorted Union Pacific GP40s and the occasional Rio Grande or Cotton Belt geep. Here are some of the locomotives I've photographed in the valley.
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Notes about locomotives:
~ The SP GP40Ms were the first units to receive the merger-inspired Speed Lettering herald. You can see the
experimentation in herald size represented on various units here. Number 7107 was the very first loco delivered with
it, and has the smaller version. In the road power shot above, compare the logos on #7131 and #7129 at opposite ends
of the consist.
~ #7129, also the small version, was used on the Ski Train extensively during the 1993 season.
~ #7124 haunted the valley and other Pueblo-originating jobs since at least 1994.
~ Rio Grande #3002, one of only four GP30s to receive the billboard Grande herald, was retired very shortly after
this photo was taken.
~ Rio Grande #3072 lasted about one year after this photo before being retired.
The real stars of the show in the valley were the cabooses. I was fortunate to get shots of three different ones, though later the pool dwindled to two. Usually, No. 01423 was usually the one left in Alamosa overnight, and was typically taken on the Antonito local. No. 01522 would travel back and forth from Pueblo. But there were always exceptions.
Caboose 01522 was from Rio Grande's last order, being a wide-vision cab with the cupola centered rather than offset towards one end. One side had been tagged, and the other side carried an editorial comment under the Action Road herald to the effect that it's the best railroad in the world...
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A nice variety of rolling stock can be found in the valley. The San Luis Central uses second-hand mechanical reefers extensively, as well as a smorgasbord of covered hoppers for barley and such. The logging operation featured bulkhead flats with log racks. Scoria is shipped in open hoppers, and perlite typically goes in covered hoppers. Throw in the occasional tank car and M-O-W unit, and you always have something interesting to watch. Here are a few examples.
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Since the creation of the San Luis & Rio Grande, operations have only expanded, and today there is also a wonderful passenger operation that covers the entire valley's rail lines. See here for more details.