"Along the Blue" #17 | 3 Comments - Click Here :

    One of the benefits of my recent giveaway is getting to meet some of the folks who either entered or commented on this blog. On Friday, I met up for the first time with two of the lucky winners to deliver their loot in person. One of those meetings turned into an opportunity to operate on Keith Hayes' nice Sn3 layout depicting Leadville during the late 1930's. Keith's layout models both the C&S and the D&RGW.
    Of course, I worked the C&S local, while Keith switched the Rio Grande. The interchange between the two roads provided for an interesting operation, and we spent an enjoyable hour and a half breaking and making up trains. Thanks Keith!
    A couple of times I was reminded of the article below, as operator error on my part seemed to be my downfall:

Breckenridge Bulletin; Oct 28, 1899;
A Small Wreck.
    A small wreck occurred in the yards of the Colorado & Southern, at this place, on Wednesday afternoon. A "light" engine ahead of a freight came in and passed through the yard going on the "y", and in some way the switch was left open. The freight was close behind, making pretty good time to get out of the way of the passenger which was almost due. On arriving at the switch, the engine left the track and completely blocked the road for seven or eight hours.
    Outside of a little shaking up for the engineer and fireman no one was hurt, and about twelve o'clock that night the track had been cleared so as to allow the passenger train to continue its journey west.