Cumbres and Toltec Train on Curve

We took a great excursion trip on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad, from Antonito, Colorado, to Chama, New Mexico.

This is a real steam line, burning coal.

The line climbs up to a 10,000 foot pass, and we really enjoyed the autumn colors.

The next day, we drove to some trackside areas, and took photos of the train heading uphill from Chama.

See:

swansonphotos.com/cumbres

Some history: this line was originally part of the extensive network of the Denver and Rio Grande Western, one of the few narrow-gauge railroads to survive from the 19th century. When that line was seriously curtailed, and would have disappeared, two states took these parts over as tourist (scenic) railroads. In this case, the operation is run by the states of Colorado and New Mexico. The other section run currently is the Durango and Silverton, entirely within Colorado.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver_and_Rio_Grande_Western_Railroad