Cumbres and Toltec RR

 

The Denver and Rio Grande Western narrow gauge line from Antonito to the Four Corners area (NM, CO, AZ, UT) was the precursor of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.

The line was originally built to tap the booming mining districts in Southwestern Colorado.  It was built in the 1880’s using the 3 foot narrow gauge railroad which was cheaper to build since it could make tighter turns in the mountains. 

 

The passenger service operated until 1951 and freight service until 1967.  Then in 1970 the states of Colorado and New Mexico purchased the line to save a piece of history and began running it as a tourist railroad, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.  It is the longest and highest narrow gauge railroad in the U.S.  All of the original rolling stock was preserved and restored including the 1925 Baldwin steam locomotives.

Due to one of the locomotives being down for boiler cleaning and inspection to meet strict National Railroad Administration standards, on our trip, we were bussed from Chama to Antonito.  We rode the train roundtrip about 75 miles from Antonito to Osier where the railroad has a dining facility that serves an outstanding lunch.  The trip is uphill the whole way reaching its highest point of 10,015 feet at Cumbres Pass. The line out of Antonito rises gradually through the high desert foothills clinging to a narrow ledge as it winds through the dramatic Toltec Gorge.

We paid extra to ride in the parlor car, positioned at the end of the train, for the end of train views coveted by rail fans like us.

George stood just about the whole trip on the rear platform watching the rails pay out and chatting with the brakeman assigned to watch the rear of the train.  The brakeman, a 36 year veteran of Cumbres and Toltec, knows every mile of track, every sharp curve, and every tunnel. 

The C & T has done an excellent job of maintaining the road bed, replacing rotten ties as needed, and heavily ballasting the track, resulting in a pretty smooth and safe ride. 

According to the brakeman, minor derailments do occur occasionally and we did notice a re-railer device hanging from the locomotive tender.  Rockslides are also frequent as well as downed trees which are cleared during an early morning inspection by a railroad crew traveling the line in a railroad motorcar.  Nonetheless, our train did have to stop for a rock that had fallen on the track, but not so big that the fireman couldn’t roll it off.  We did encounter fairly heavy rain in the high mountain area, which only added to the enjoyment of the trip, according to George who likes to ride trains in the rain. 

All in all, it was one of the best tourist trains we’ve ever ridden due to the beauty of the scenery and the challenging railroad engineering.

Notably, the line is designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark.  It was a really special day highlighted on the return bus trip to Chama by the view of a full-bow rainbow.