Celebrating 100 Operating Sessions

The 100th operating session was a cause for celebration, with commemorative shirts for all.  Some employes were so excited, they wore ties.  Both were soon promoted for their company spirit.

While Whit switches the Rio Grande North Yard interchange with the Valley Local, Gene gets in on the photo opportunity.

Engine Foreman Fred, Assistant Yardmaster Barb, and Yardmaster Doug are having a relaxing session — for now.  Rice Yard can fill up quickly if the team is not on their game.

Union Station Assistant Yardmaster Gary is shuttling a coach near the station's north end switch tower as he prepares a passenger consist.

Station Operator Roy kept the orders and OSes (train reports) flowing for our 100th session. Roy is often our SO or Dispatcher, and has the seniority to grab those jobs often.

Rod served as our Dispatcher, shown here recording a train report on the official Dispatcher's Record of Movement of Trains, also known as the Train Sheet.  This dispatcher's office features a 21st century personal computer keyboard to hold the dispatcher's job aids, as well as 21st century bottled water.

Bill is switching Boulder as crew for the Union Pacific's Extra 1250.  This UP local enters C&S track at Ara, and switches a few industries between Ara and Boulder as well.

Whit and Bill are crew for through freights Nos. 42 and 43, about to complete a moonlit meet.  No. 43, the superior northward train, arrived at Valmont ahead of time, and must wait on the main track until 1:50 AM, its scheduled leaving time.  It looks like inferior No. 42 is pulling into the siding in plenty of time.  If 1:50 AM came and No. 42 was not on the siding, No. 43 would leave Valmont anyway, expecting No. 42 to take another siding farther north.

To celebrate the event, the Company unfurled a large banner at Denver Union Station.  The C&S Ry's Denver-based flagmen gathered around for this commemorative photograph, while passengers looked on.