Steamscape: Lobato Trestle. The crew of DRGW 488 opens both firebox blow-down valves as they take their Chama-bound passenger train across the legendary Lobato Trestle on a warm August afternoon. The blow-down procedure is frequently used by steam locomotive crews to eliminate sediment build-up around the mud-ring portion of the boiler, but on this line it is done for a couple of other reasons as well. After passing Cumbres Pass, the westbound trains are pretty much drifting downhill all the way to Chama. In the process, they are using very little steam, so the boiler pressure tends to climb as they descend. The fireman has also put more water in the boiler than he'd probably like, in order to ensure proper coverage of the crown sheet on the 4% downhill grades. Blowing down helps take care of both issues. While watching this particular exercise, it also occurred to me that doing it at the trestle may well have a fourth benefit. It thoroughly soaks everything nearby. Given that the C&TS lost the Lobato Bridge deck to a terrible fire in 2010, soaking as many of the timbers as possible is a definite plus. I'd like to thank the kind passer-by who allowed me to stand in the bed of his pick-up truck to get this shot. In recent years, lots of nasty fences have gone up at this location and having a little elevation really helps eliminate a lot of that foreground clutter from the scene.
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.
