Cumbres & Toltec Narrow Gauge Railroad

[Gwizz]

This remnant of the San Juan Extension of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad is alive and well and thinking about expanding to the Durango & Silverton RR:  Even merging with them.  The Cumbres & Toltec RR is owned by the states of New Mexico and Colorado. As I stated before, the RR has just completed a major overhaul of the track and right of way. It passes through Cumbres Pass and Toltec Gorge. ( the reason for its' name)  There is not as many trees as on the D & S.  The C & T has lots of rocks and views.  A fan told me it was going to be his 6th trip.  He said it is the better of the two railroads to ride on.  He also said fans come from all over the world to donate their time for a week repairing and painting the equipment and facilities.

The day I visited, preparations were underway to run a freight train.  Flat cars were loaded with parts of a turn table to give the train some weight.  my count of usable cars, many were scattered at both ends of the line, was about 25 cars that looked like they had been made ready and were coupled together in small groups for the upcoming trip.

Not planning to ride this train I came late.  I was told the two passenger trains were each 7 cars long.  They start at each end of about a 70 mile run.  The 2 passenger trains meet at about the half way point for lunch at what is left of the silver mining and section town of Osier.   Only the locos turn around at Osier (well over 10,000 feet) to recouple and return their trains back home to about 7,000 feet at Antonito Colorado or Chama, New Mexico.  They said it is the Highest operating railroad in the US.  We stopped there in our rubber tired car and found about the only thing left standing is the depot where lunch was served.  There were lots of RR tracks still in place from the mining days.  Snows there can reach 10s of feet in depth.  It had snowed some the day before but warm weather had melted it off by the time we got there.

At Osier passengers can stay on their train for the return trip or change trains and continue on and take a bus back in the evening.  It was a scenic drive going up but in Colorado the Railroad went around the other side of the mountains away from the road.

The railroad cars include coach's,   2. a family tourist car with individual seating and   3. a parlor car with attendants and food. This car being very old was for adults only.  I guess they learned early how kids can be now-a-days.  All tickets included lunch.  

They had about 4, maybe 5 locos steam up as they prepared for the nearby Narrow gauge convention of about 1800 people.  

I walked the yards at both ends of the line.  Lots of cars, some in not so good condition.  The coal tripple was out of service.  I was told it will take about 2 million dollars to rebuild it.  Two power poles were set at each side with a extra heavy timber on top and going under the front of the tripple, just in case the tripple got tipsy.  A fan said the coal tower had jambed as parts settled and all coal is now loaded with a front loader from a large pile.

There is no round house only loco sheds (buildings) at each end.  These yards looked more authentic as they might have looked 100 years ago.  No one seemed to know if the turn table was going to be put back in operation.

Next I will talk about the standard gauge Creeper in Utah.  Not running on the day I was there, but I got a full walking tour.  I got a picture of a diesel switcher in its birthday suit, without a skin.