Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad

The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad is certainly one of the best tourist railroads in the US, running 64 miles from Antonito, Colorado, to Chama, New Mexico. We had a gorgeous fall ride in late September, just the right time for the yellow aspens. I will be posting a few shots from this trip over the next couple of weeks. We start out with our Parlour Car, which was the next to last car from Antonito to our lunch stop at Osier, CO. We were about the 7th car back, giving good opportunities to take photos as we went around curves. In the second picture, we are climbing out of the sage brush country, headed for the mountains. Engine 484 is a K-36 narrow gauge, outside frame engine, built in 1925. Narrow gauge has 3 foot wide track - since the width of the engine is much larger, the wheels are actually inside of the main frame.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

I'll be looking for your shots from the train, Harold. We were in that area several years ago, also late Sept, and chose not to ride the train. This was partly because we drove the road through the pass, almost the same route as the train. (Fall scenery there is delightful.) Also, we had already made reservations for the Durango-Silverton train ride for just a few days later. Should have reversed it, as it rained all day when we rode the D-S train.

Nice pics! I took the same ride last year and took some pics. You can see them here: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=98569

Thanks, Harold. I rode the train just a day before 9/11 back in 2001 so your image brings back some happy memories and well as some far more horrific, of course. I rode all the way from Chama to Antonito ignoring my seat in one of the cars, preferring to stand in the open wagon to get the photos!