Steamscape: Tanglefoot Curve. Train 215, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad's daily westbound out of Antonito, Colorado, slowly ascends the eastern leg of Tanglefoot Curve, with the vast Cumbres Creek Valley as a backdrop. Within just a few hundred yards, the train will round "The Balloon" loop at the south end of Tanglefoot, and reverse direction, passing from right to left on the main line just in front of the photographer, on its final approach to Cumbres Pass. From the location seen here, the train has about one mile and 60 vertical feet to go, to reach the summit.
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.
