Personal Projects, Photography, and Pointless Pontifications
Snow Goose – RGS 5 on the D&S, Feb 17-19, 2017
In mid-February 2017, the Galloping Goose Historical Society brought their pride and joy – RGS “Galloping Goose” #5 – over to the Durango & Silverton to operate as part of the Winter Photographers’ Special weekend. This marked the first time that Rio Grande Southern #5 had operated in the winter since the end of winter RGS operations in 1951-1952.
RGS 5 was sporting a brand new snowplow on the front. The plow is a modern replica of the plows actually fitted to the RGS motors back in the day. Dolores welder Ken Vance made this one, patterned after the one on RGS 6 up at the Colorado Railroad Museum. I can’t find any pictures of #5 with a plow fitted, but the new replica looks spot on to an old Sanborn photo postcard image I found of #7, taken in Ridgway in the 1940s.
RGS 7 fitted with a snowplow (and apparently broken down – note the tow bar through the front) in Ridgway back before 1945, as it still has the Pierce-Arrow body. From photolibrarian’s Flickr.
Friday – Feb 17, 2017
February 17 had RGS 5 making two sold-out short trips from the Durango station up to the Home Ranch wye and back. The day dawned sunny and quite moderate, allowing for some easy shots in and around Durango. After the second RGS 5 run was back to the depot, I headed up to Rockwood to catch 473 and the regular Cascade train coming back. While it was still sunny at Rockwood, by the time we were down to Hermosa, the weather had turned decidedly colder and overcast. So I called it at day after that and headed back to Durango to kick back with a couple beers and dinner at Animas River Brewing.
RGS 5 heads out through downtown Durango on Friday’s first trip
Crossing the Animas River
Arriving at the Home Ranch wye
Line ’em in, back ’em up.
Stopping for a bit at Home Ranch so passengers can stretch their legs and get a few pictures
Heading back in to Durango at the north end of town
And back across the Animas going south, right past my favorite Durango brewery.
I had to sneak in one shot of my new truck…
K-28 #473 pulls into Rockwood with the regular Cascade train on Friday.
On the back is B7 “General Palmer”, railroad owner Al Harper’s private car. It’s a rare bird to see out on the rails.
By the time the train got down to Hermosa, clouds had once again choked off the light.
Don’t know who Vickie is, but happy birthday!
Saturday – Feb 18, 2017
Galloping Goose 5 had its own trip on Saturday with a small group of photographers. We left before the regular Cascade train to get in a few morning light shots and then went in the hole at Tacoma to let 473 past.
While we were waiting, the plant operator for Xcel Energy’s Tacoma Hydro plant opened the place up and gave us a quick tour of the historic facility. The small (currently 4.5 megawatt) hydro plant opened in 1905 to provide cheap power to the mines around Silverton, and continues to feed power into the grid today. While the control systems and switch gear have been modernized, the generators and turbines are still largely original.
Once the regular passenger train was by, the trip continued north to Cascade, turned so that we remained behind the regular train, and headed back into Durango with a few more run-bys on the way down. The afternoon was largely cold and dreary. The most eventful thing was hitting a bicycle frame on the rails around a blind corner just above the US 550 bridge. Fortunately, the Goose handled it in style with no harm done except an excited “what did we just hit?” moment from the crew.
Saturday night was the D&S’s traditional night photography session at the roundhouse.
RGS 5 comes across the Hermosa bridge on Saturday morning.
Heading north between the US 550 bridge and Shalona Lake
Up around Shalona Lake
From the same point as the last shot, just a different angle
Out on the High Line in some odd morning light
A different angle of RGS 5 on the High Line
At Tacoma, the plant operator for Xcel Energy’s Tacoma hydro plant offered us a quick tour while we waited for the regular Cascade train to pass.
Inside the plant, looking south towards the 3.5MW turbine and generator that failed violently back in 2005.
The north end of the plant, with two turbines and generators on line and humming away.
The regular Saturday Cascade train with 473 in the lead again.
Leaving Tacoma and out on the line somewhere.
Our northernmost point for the day at the Cascade wye
The regular train was already there and turned, and headed out first so we’d have the line to ourselves on the return trip.
Backing into the Cascade wye tail and getting ready to head for Durango.
The traditional shot at the High Bridge just south of Tacoma. Remember this shot, it’ll look a whole lot different tomorrow.
A slightly different view of the bridge shot. RGS 5 is so small it gets dwarfed by the bridge.
Back in Rockwood, we stop for a few minutes so that the crew can check over RGS 5 and make sure we’re good to go.
I love the Public Service / Xcel Energy track car with Reddy Kilowatt on the wide. Plant workers use this to access the Tacoma plant, as there is no road.
And Big Al, D&S diesel #7, sitting at Tacoma in case of emergency.
Coming back down the hill below Rockwood
Just a different view of the Goose that you usually don’t see
Just above the US 550 bridge, we took out a bicycle frame somebody had dumped on the tracks. A quick inspection showed RGS 5 was no worse for wear.
Arriving back in Durango, and with an hour or two to kill before the night photography session starts.
RGS 5 at the roundhouse with DSNG 481 and 480. The torn down engine next to the Goose is DSNG 476, which will emerge from a long rebuild in September 2017.
Three sequentially numbered K-36s at the roundhouse
473, still hot from the day’s work, takes a spin on the table to head to the ash pit.
Another look at 473
I couldn’t decide if I liked the black and white or color version better. They each have their merits.
With 473 off to dump her ashes, RGS 5 pulls on to the turntable
Ashes dumped, 473 pulls back onto the table to be put away for the night.
Sunday – Feb 19, 2017
Sunday was the Durango & Silverton’s annual Winter Photographers’ Special, so both it and the RGS 5 special were out on the line at the same time. I awoke and looked outside to my amazement – large white snowflakes quietly and peacefully falling everywhere. Not any wind to speak of. This was going to be a truly epic day out on the line. This would be one for the books – the perfect weather that winter railroad photographers dream of having, but rarely lines up with excursions planned months in advance.
The Winter Photographers’ Special (hereafter WPS) in 2017 consisted of K-27 #473, a concession car, a coach, an open car, two more coaches, and caboose 0540. It left Durango at 0800h, followed by those of us on the Goose fifteen minutes later. We’d do a few run-bys together and a few separately, as time and track allowed. By having us behind 473 and the WPS train, it gave us the ability to stop and take advantage of photo opportunities wherever the crew found them. (And I suppose from the railroad’s perspective, if we broke down, we weren’t going to be in the way of the majority of revenue-generating passengers.) With a whole lot less of us on the Goose, we could load and unload quickly and fit into tighter spots, opening up opportunities that the big group couldn’t take advantage of.
Finally, some real snow falling. This is going to be a great day.
Perfect weather for a winter photo special.
As we head north out of down, things are starting to accumulate. Fortunately the Goose’s cab heater does a wonderful job.
Up near the US 550 bridge, we do our first run-bys in some glorious snowfall. Big flakes and near zero wind.
It’s a snow goose now?
Another look at 5 running in the snow
What a difference a day makes at Rockwood
473 and the Winter Photographers Special on the High Bridge
RGS 5 in the snow on the High Bridge
A different shot of 5 on the bridge
Coming off the north end, the trestlework is vaguely reminiscent of Goose’s native RGS trackage
Up at the reverse curves along the Animas, the snow is really coming down
A different view of the Goose in the snow above the river
473 and the WPS train at the same spot.
Up the line further, RGS 5 in the snow
Speeding along through this glorious weather
Sort of a peaceful, serene view of RGS 5 in all that fresh powder
After turning at Cascade and backing up to the Tefft bridge, the sun finally broke through
Full frontal 473
That gives a new meaning to “getting goosed”…
Back at Tacoma, we pull in the siding to let 473 pass us.
Everybody off for a side-by-side shot
While the WPS train is up on the High Line doing a few run-bys, we do a few of our own on the track just to the north.
One of the rare RGS 5 on the High Line shots I’ve ever liked. Usually the Goose is so small it just doesn’t work.
Another RGS 5 on the High Line shot that turned out okay.
Thanks to everybody you see here. These are the folks from the railroad and the GGHS that make this happen. Couldn’t have had a better day!
This work is copyright 2022 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.
