Desert Glint. A Rio Grande Freight races westbound across the New Mexico desert, just after sunrise on a chilly fall morning. The landscape on the eastern third of the present-day Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is starkly different than the western third. A scant 40 miles east of Cumbres Pass, the pine-covered Rocky Mountains have given way to a wide-open, sagebrush-covered desert. If this shot had been taken during the summer months, I would probably have been wearing snake chaps during my short climb to this photo location. In October however, the mornings here in the desert are a bit too cold for the reptiles.
Riding this freight out to our photo location this morning was an adventure to remember. We left Antonito, Colorado in deep darkness at 5:45 AM, riding in an open gondola, running westbound at a track speed of 20 mph. With the temperature hovering around 35F, the ride was a tad brisk. With little light pollution, the density of the stars in the sky was unbelievable. A meteor shower added to the celestial show. Overhead, the plumes from our two locomotives were dramatically illuminated each time one of our firemen opened his firebox door for another shovel load of the black diamonds. The accommodations on this train were the most austere of any photo freight I have ever ridden, yet the experience was one to treasure for a lifetime!
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.
