Doubleheading past Jukes' Tree. The 4th doubleheader of the 2011 Cumbres & Toltec excursion season charges off the Rio Chama Bridge and past a large, odd-looking pine tree that has acquired the name of legendary Western Rail Photographer, Fred Jukes. A similar-looking tree, purported to be this one, appears in at least one of Fred's more famous photographs of a pair of Consolidations double-heading to Cumbres Pass back in 1908. More than a few arm-chair historians have studied Fred's shot alongside contemporary photos and declared that the "current" tree is not the same as the one that Fred shot back in his day. Others argue that the landscape around this section of track has probably changed so significantly over the last century that a fair comparison between the old and the new photos would be difficult at best. Regardless of one's viewpoint, I think we can all agree on one thing. Somewhere, up there, Fred Jukes is smiling down on this scene. A full 103 years after he shot his famous photo, narrow gauge steam engines still make the daily charge out of Chama, toward the 10,000 foot mountain pass, some 13 miles to the north.
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.
