Pipe Train, Part 3: Antonito to MP 305

On a beautiful June morning in 1968 Robert and Joan Thain happened to be in Alamosa, CO with Rob's trusty 8mm camera when they heard that the D&RGW was about to run a pipe train to Farmington, NM. Having nothing better to do that morning, they went out and took some movies. Or maybe they happened to be in Alamosa because they heard the pipe train was going out. Who knows?
Part 3 follows the train from Antonito to MP 305. That's not easy to do even today. Scenes include servicing the engines in the Antonito yard and pitting the helper (#483) mid-train.
Recently, Rob trusted me with the movies he took that morning, just long enough for me to have them converted, and he gave me permission to share them with you here on UA-cam. They are his property.

[@glennfoster2423]

I had the imminse pleasure of riding the passenger train full of riders from Alamosa to Cumbers and back to Alamosa one great day (cold, too) in the late 1960's.

[@clipperwr]

How ironic. I just watched a Jerry Day video, shot this week on January 24, 2020, of K37 no. 493's return to steam after 52 years, now converted to an oil burner on the Durango & Silverton. Who would have guessed in 1968, that 493, 491 at the Colorado RR Museum and most of the K36 locomotives would still be working? Unfortunately, no. 483, running as helper in this video, is not among them, but it is still around at the Cumbres & Toltec shop in Chama, NM.

[@concorde2003]

Thanks for taking me with you on your trip.

[@BUBULEPOISSON]

Many thank's for this set of Three wonderfull videos !! It's a great gift for D&RGW fans !

[@williamreed805]

This was the very last Cumbes Turn ever run by the D&RGW and the last time the 493 was under steam. Great vintage film and thanks for sharing.

[@johnnyjames7139]

Wonderful, great to see this, I never saw it in person.