Friends volunteers restore a boxcar, 2003.  Photo by Tom Cardin
Friends volunteers restore a boxcar, 2003. Photo by Tom Cardin.
The most important function of the Friends of the C&TS involves the volunteer work done each season on the structures and rolling stock owned by the railroad. Maintenance of a railroad such as this is a full time job, to say the least and the operator of the C&TS, has its hands full just keeping the equipment needed for its passenger operations in good condition. As a result, some of the historic structures and freight equipment, not needed for daily operation of the line, do not get as much attention as they require. The Friends help fill this gap by providing volunteer labor to keep these historic items in good repair, thus enhancing the experience for all visitors of the railroad. Also, since we’re a non-profit organization, expenses for registration, travel, food and lodging are tax deductible contributions to the Friends.

The organization and planning of our work sessions is a complex and time consuming process and has been described in an article, "Volunteering on a Grande Scale," reprinted from the Spring 1999 Railway Museum Quarterly, the official publication of the Association of Railway Museums.


2009 WORK SESSION SCHEDULE

May 18-22Work Session A
May 25-29Work Session B
June 15-19Work Session C
June 22-26Work Session D
August 3-7Work Session E
August 10-14Work Session F

2008 WORK SESSION REGISTRATION MATERIALS

The 2008 work session registration materials are available for downloading. You can download the entire set in one ZIP file, or you can download the files individually. All files are in PDF format. These forms are applicable for all work sessions.

If this is your first time signing up for a work session, please read Form R-1. It describes the sign-up process in detail. Returning volunteers should read Form R-1A, which describes the steps necessary to sign-up in a concise format.

Zip file containing all forms in PDF format (605KB)
Form R-1 (96KB) Sign-Up Instructions
Form R-1A (25KB) Sign-Up Instructions (Short Form)
Form R-2 (163KB) Registration For Volunteer Work
Form R-5 (58KB) Skills Checklist
Form R-7 (213KB) Planned Jobs 2008
Form R-8 (57KB) Work & Safety Rules For Volunteers
Form R-9 (42KB) Lodging in the Chama & Antonito Areas
Form R-10 (85KB) Permanent Name Badge Order Form
Form R-12 (51KB) Docent Work Schedule Form


2008 WORK SESSION SCHEDULE

May 12-15Work Session A (click for images)
May 19-23Work Session B (click for images)
June 16-20Work Session C (click for images)
June 23-27Work Session D (click for images)
August 4-8Work Session E
August 11-15Work Session F
August 18-22Work Session S2

2007 WORK SESSION SCHEDULE

May 7-11Work Session S (click for images)
May 14-18Work Session A (click for images)
May 21-25Work Session B (click for images)
June 18-22Work Session C (click for images)
June 25-29Work Session D (click for images)
August 6-10Work Session E (click for images)
August 13-17Work Session F (click for images)

2006 WORK SESSION SCHEDULE

May 8-12Work Session S (click for images)
May 15-19Work Session A (click for images)
May 22-26Work Session B
June 12-16Work Session C (click for images)
June 19-23Work Session D (click for images)
August 7-11Work Session E (click for images)
August 14-18Work Session F (click for images)

2005 WORK SESSION PHOTOS

May 9-13Work Session A (click for images)
May 16-20Work Session B (click for images)
June 13-17Work Session C (click for images)
June 20-24Work Session D (click for images)
August 1-5Work Session E (click for images)
August 8-12Work Session F (click for images)

2004 WORK SESSION PHOTOS

May 10-14Work Session A (click for images)
May 17-21Work Session B (click for images)
June 14-18Work Session C (click for images)
June 21-25Work Session D (click for images)
August 2-6Work Session E (click for images)
August 9-13Work Session F (click for images)