In the valley of the Los Pinos. The second day of our 2018 Rio Grande Southern re-creation featured a locomotive that didn't require any re-lettering, because DRGW Consolidation #315 was actually leased to the RGS in 1926 and 1927. She carried the DRGW "toilet seat" herald, as she does in this photo. The train featured a number of cars lettered for the RGS, including the red stocker just behind the locomotive, and the camp car and caboose you see in the curve behind her. This image was taken on the east side of the Los Pinos Valley on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, as the train was running compass south, along Los Pinos Creek.
This location is one of my favorite morning shots on the line, because it offers elevated views of the train, as well as long telephoto and wide angle shots, without changing camera positions at all. This particular shot was taken with Nikon's excellent 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens, on a D750 body. There are not many railroads that require a lens that long for simple train photography like this, but on this railroad, I have it with me most of the time.
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.
