RailPictures.Net Photo: DRGW 487 Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Steam 2-8-2 at San Miguel, New Mexico by Kevin Madore

View All Notifications

Community Response

Locomotive Details

Location/Date of Photo


Views: 5,671 Favorited: 41
Since added on November 12, 2012

+ Add to Favorites

+ Subscribe

+ Add to Photo Album

+ Post a Photo Comment

» Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (more..)
» Steam 2-8-2 (more..)

» Lava Tank (MP 291.55)
» San Miguel, New Mexico, USA (more..)
» October 22, 2012

Locomotive No./Train ID

Photographer

» DRGW 487 (more..)
» Work Extra 487 (more..)

» Kevin Madore (more..)
» Contact Photographer · Photographer Profile

Remarks & Notes

Sunrise at Lava Tank. A Denver & Rio Grande Western freight making an early morning run from Alamosa to Chama charges through the loop at Lava Tank as the sun peeks over the hills to the east. Of course, getting a shot like this back in the old D&RGW freight days would have required a long hike and an enormous amount of luck. With a photo charter, there's just a tad more under the control of the photographer...lol. The location pictured here is really quite remote. Lava Tank situated at the apex of a loop of track located on top of a lava-capped mesa...hence the name "Lava Tank". Back in the day, this tank got its water supply from the Rio de Los Pinos, about a mile to the southeast of this location and about 500 feet lower in elevation. A pump house located along the river pumped water up to the tank location. Like many of the historic structures on this line, Lava Tank is no longer used....except as a prop for dramatic photos! The original tank that stood here during the D&RGW era was actually destroyed by a fire in 1971. The tank on the site now was formerly located at Antonito, CO, but was dismantled and brought here to replace the tank lost in the fire. Lost in the history books someplace, is a clear, concise explanation as to how a water tank could be destroyed by fire!

Photo Location Map

Photo Comments (2)

View Larger Map

User Photo Albums Containing this Photo (9)

+ Add to Album

Good Light, Good Scenery, and a Train Album created by member Lee Kirchhoff	Album Views: 31,617
Landscape photography is difficult due to the challenge of combining good light and good scenery. Good railroad photography enters another level of complexity since it requires the first two while there is a train in view.

Steam Album created by member Ty Kaneshiro	Album Views: 82,394
my album for steam locomotives

Sun Album created by member Mitch Goldman	Album Views: 60,373
Photos where the Sun is integral to the composition.

Astonishing pictures Album created by member ussagus	Album Views: 39,856
Some of the best pictures of RP

5 Days in October Album created by member Kevin Madore	Album Views: 9,354
Highlights of the Lerro Productions/FarRails Tours charter on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

Steam Album created by member mattkdettman	Album Views: 101,193

DreamTrains Album created by member coco13cos	Album Views: 3,006,575
Over 50.000 of RP's most appreciated and beautiful photos.

Unseen Aspects Album created by member ckeefer58	Album Views: 1,226,861
Pictures of things often unseen in the world of railroading. Interesting equipment, operations, and people that help the railroad go around.

Rio Grande - Scenic Line of the World Album created by member Kevin Madore	Album Views: 57,914
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.

Add to Photo Album or Get Your Own Photo Album

EXIF Data for this photo: [What's this?]

This image contains EXIF headers - Click Here to show the data.

Photo Copyright © 2012 Kevin Madore. All Rights Reserved. Photo Usage Policy
This website Copyright © 2002-2024. All Rights Reserved.