I've thought this pic is Echeta? It is a Barringer but I
don't know his photo number. I'd have to drive the 80
miles out there to check the hills and see if they match
but from my memory it sure looks close.
As for the steam loco having shoved an eastbound to
Arvada, that is not very likely. No reason for that. I've
ran A LOT of helpers here and I've never done that.
Sheridan helpers shove east up to Ulm then most trains go
it alone from there to Gillette. In steam days there was a
wye at Ulm and it can still very faintly be seen today. In
diesel days we usually stayed on the rear of the train we
helped to Ulm down the hill to Clearmont to obtain train
orders to return to Sheridan or to get on a westbound that
needed help up to Ulm and up the backside of Sheridan
Hill. In diesel days we would often run light helpers to
Lariat to get on the rear of a westbound there to shove it
up out of Arvada and up Ulm and Sheridan Hills (Arvada
siding was gone by then. ripped out after a wreck on the
spring switch in 1975 or 1976). My point is that there is
no reason for steam engines to help a train to Arvada
which is at the bottom of a hill in either direction. I
don't doubt that the CBQ ran light helper engines to
Arvada to help westbounds out of there and up the other 2
hills. It DOES make sense that the Q would run light
helpers out of Gillette to Echeta to meet and help an
eastbound up Felix Hill thru the S curves that were
straightened in the late 1970s. But I don' know if the Q
had westbound helper service based at Gillette? Sheridan
helpers could've also shoved from Sheridan to
Sparta(between Oriva and Gillette) where there was a wye
to turn for the long return trip.
