Train 216, climb and maintain one-zero thousand - TEN THOUSAND! I've been flying piston-engine aircraft for 28 years and I can count on my fingers and toes the number of times I've ever needed to climb to ten thousand feet. With that background, it is difficult for me to imagine that there are trains....even steam-powered trains...that do this every day. The Cumbres & Toltec excursion trains leave Chama at roughly 7,800 feet above sea-level and in just the space of 13 miles, climb to just over 10,000 feet at Cumbres Pass. In this shot, the train is about halfway through that journey, assaulting the 4% grade just south of the Colorado State Line. She's huffing and puffing and occasionally slipping the tires. Although most 80+ year-old steam engines are pretty much loafing in their "retirement" years, it is arguable that these K-36s are working just as hard now as they ever did back in the steam era.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are all that remains of the legendary Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge system. Here you'll find some of my favorites from these two beautiful railways.
