John L Mathis

ATSF Dash 8-40CW 850 is the final helper on the first half of a York Canyon coal train stopping at Jansen, CO shortly before sunset in October 1995. A total of 6 units could only bring one half of the York Canyon coal train over Raton Pass. The crew will leave this half here at Jansen and then take all six units back over the pass to Raton, NM where they will pick up the second half of the train and bring it across the stiff grade. Once the entire train is here, it will be put back together and will only need two or three units to take the entire loaded train across the plains to its Wisconsin power plant destination. The Santa Fe and later BNSF 8-40CW's and 8-44CW's as well as the second order of 8-40BW's (560+) had a special cab roof design ("gull wing"). Rather than a single line from the roof to above the window, the line had a sharper slope than on the standard design and then an almost level line to just above the windows. This design allowed the clearance necessary to pass through York Canyon's coal loading facility. Even though York Canyon coal is history, this cab design continued on subsequent orders until the ES44DC's.

Hasselblad 500CM - 150mm Sonnar lens