Dealing with the Labor Shortage

Since this is a volunteer organization, it's not unusual to run into a labor shortage for operating crews now and then.  (Actually, there are always labor shortages, but that's another subject...)   So today I got to be the motorman on the CA&E steel cars, 409 and 431, seen here.  What a neat train!  

Larry Stone was the conductor, and things went well.   I forgot to get the usual crew portrait, but you've seen us both before.  Most of the time, we had enough passengers to justify two cars, and everybody seemed to be having a good time.

The CA&E train alternated with the North Shore cars, and the 3142 was running the loop.   We had four guys doing five jobs, so we switched off on a regular basis.   I ran the 3142 around the loop several times, which is always a nice change of pace.

Apart from that, I don't know what was happening back in the shop.   Tim arranged to pull the 24 out onto the railroad for picture taking, as an entry for next year's calendar.   You've got my vote!  He had several people with fancy cameras along to take pictures at multiple angles out on the main line at various places.  My only chance to join in the fun was when it was on the west wye.

The CA&E cars in the background are the best I could do.

Nearby, Max, Jerry, and Al Choutka were working most of the day on installing a transformer to supply power for lighting up the big Santa Fe sign by the parking lot.

That reminds me: we tend to get a good number of international visitors, but today more than ever, for some reason.  One of them asked me why we had the huge words "Santa Fe" mounted out in front.  Taken literally, it means "Holy Faith" but I explained it's not for religious reasons.  To any American railfan, the words "Santa Fe" will mean the Super Chief and warbonnets and Chico and the Harvey Girls (Judy Garland!) and lots of other things, but to someone who's not from around here, it might be mysterious.   At least we're educating the public!