The shadows are getting long and the daytime cumulus clouds are rapidly melting away, as Stock Extra 315 sidles up to the water tank in Antonito, CO for a top off, before bedding down for the night.
Once an important junction on the old D&RG narrow gauge lines from Alamosa to Durango and Santa Fe, little Antonito is now the eastern terminus of the present-day Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. With the exception of the depot building, most of the original D&RG structures that existed in the little yard are long gone. The original water tank is actually now out on the line to the west at Lava. The structures you see here, including the current tank and the engine house that is just visible behind 315, were built in the 1970s as the tourist line was being developed. Antonito is now the departure point for the C&TS daily westbound passenger train, and the shops here are used for daily engine service, as well as for storage and heavy maintenance in the off-season.
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.
