Steam & Excursion > Two Days of the C&TS

On July 20, 21, and 22, myself, FrontRangeTrains, and a friend of ours spent three days in southern Colorado/northern New Mexico. Our first day, the 20th, was spent chasing Amtrak's Southwest Chief and capturing the semaphores on the Raton and Glorietta Subs (see those pictures by clicking here).

On the 21st and 22nd, we chased the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, as neither one of them had been down there before. Our plan was to chase the engineer/fireman school train and the daily passenger train in the morning, then the westbound passenger train in the afternoon on Tuesday the 21st, then chase the school train and the westbound between Antonito and Osier before leaving for home in northern Colorado. When we overheard them talking about a doubleheader for Wednesday the 22nd, that changed.

John posted his pictures in 2 parts, part 1 here and part 2 here. I will be condensing mine into one post with less pictures, to not step on his toes.

Photo 1 is early Tuesday morning, 7/21/15. The school train is pulling out of the yard to take the group photo.

Photo 2 is the school train just south of the NM/CO state line.

Photo 3 is the photo train approaching the Coxo phone booth.

It was then turn around and head back into Chama.
~wko

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Photo 4: after getting train 216 departing Chama, we got it again entering the narrows. 488 was doing the honors.

Photo 5 is at the 2nd highway crossing. I still have never gotten a train here that wasn't casting its own shadow!

Photo 6 is dropping down the grade below Tanglefoot Curve.

We would get this train once more, then wait for 215 to come from the other direction.
~wko

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Photo 7: we got train 215 with 484 leading at Los Pinos, then were able to beat it to the crossing between there and Tanglefoot.

Photo 8 is the westbound just after passing the east switch of Cumbres siding.

Photo 9 is dropping down the 4% at the west switch of Cresco siding.

With so many movements, there were a lot of hot locomotives!
~wko

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Photo 10 is train 215 passing the coal chute and sand dispenser in Chama.

Photo 11 is 484 backing through the shop after cleaning the ashes and adding water and sand. 463 was cold, but had its fire lit shortly after we left, and 487 would be pulled out of the shop the next morning for the 1st time all year. Between the last shot and this shot, we heard them talking about a doubleheader the next day, then they added a car to the train, confirming what we thought.

Photo 12 is the 3 locomotives at the other end of the line. 489 is at the ash pits beyond the door.

The next day was much of the same, but with 2 locomotives on the train!
~wko

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Wednesday, July 22, started in Antonito with the school train departing at 8:00. 

Photo 13 is the train approaching Hangman's trestle.

Photo 14: after getting the school train at Hangman's, we highballed for Chama, making it there at about 9:30. We waited in the yard before heading to Juke's Tree just before it departed.

Photo 15 is the doubleheader departing the narrows, approaching Lobato.

The two locomotives sounded great climbing the hill!
~wko

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Photo 16 is the train approaching the state line, this time from a wider distance.

Photo 17 is the two locomotives pulling up to the Cumbres water stop.

Photo 18: after dropping off the riders who had purchased the Cinder Bear Experience package, the train pulled up, then 484 pulled off, and finally the 10-car train, led by 463, departed for Antonito.

We got 463 one more time before starting our way home. On the way, we ran into the SLRG switching, which will be posted to the Western Board as the final installment of my busy month of July (click here for links).

That's all for this trip, we hope to get down there for fall colors, but aren't quite sure yet. Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed!
~wko



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/15 21:25 by wko.

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very nice thank you very much for sharing  onre I will get out there.

I can't get over how GREEN it is this year- I've noticed it in Rodger's photos too.
SR

They have had rain almost every day this summer. The hostice on the train told us this has been the best wild flower season in many years.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Excellent photos and interesting information!  Thank you for posting them!

JS

The new color on the passenger cars looks much better than the old paint scheme in my opinion. Who made the decision to go a totally different direction there? I've noticed the D&S recently repainted their passenger consists as well. Thanks if anyone knows more info.

Buttons2013 Wrote:
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> The new color on the passenger cars looks much
> better than the old paint scheme in my opinion.
> Who made the decision to go a totally different
> direction there? I've noticed the D&S recently
> repainted their passenger consists as well. Thanks
> if anyone knows more info.

...and does the new scheme have any historical precedence, or is it a new scheme that will one day become historic?

I agree that the current look of the C&TS passenger cars is the best.

Thanks, all! I did like the green as a historical look, but the red of these sure pops, especially when new! And I think the gold lettering really compliments this particular shade of red, and they look much better with a black roof than a white.
~wko

Thank you for the beautiful pictures and nice discription of your photos. Sounds like you are very familiar with this operation.
John

Great shots.  Congratulations on IOTD!

John Parker
Longmont, CO
BNSF Fall River Division



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/15 12:54 by bnsfbuff.

Thanks, John and John!
~wko

I rode the C&TS about 12 years ago, and to this day it is my all-time favorite train ride.  Thanks for the excellent photos; sure has me thinking about returning.  I didn't know they had centercab 19; this is the first photo I have ever seen of it.  Difficult to select a favorite amongst so many great shots, but 13 and 17 are leading the pack for me.

Rich

They stable 2 center cab diesels with the 19 at Antonito and 15 at Chama.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Seventyfive Wrote:
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> I rode the C&TS about 12 years ago, and to this
> day it is my all-time favorite train ride.

If you liked it then ... you'll LOVE it now.!

-John Stein