Steam & Excursion > Looking back on 2016 steam, part 3: C&TS trip

Click here for Part 1: NW 611 / Click here for Part 2: 844 returns


During the month of June, my dad, my cousin, my uncle, and I planned a trip for July to do ride the Cumbres & Toltec. We wanted to pick a trip with some extra trains, and the weekend in between the weeks of part 2 was just that. On July 15, the Friends of the C&TS were running their annual Moonlight Wine Tasting train. On July 16, the Saturday night dinner/concert trains were starting up, and on July 17, the monthly engineer/fireman school was starting (although we didn't actually do anything with this).

We met in Denver the morning of the 15th after I got off work at 7 AM, and arrived into Chama in the middle of the day, so we used the opportunity to check into our hotel, check out the yard, and grab a bite to eat before making our way to Los Piños for the westbound train 215. After about a 15 minute wait, K36 #489 showed up with a normal consist in tow.

Photo 1: Train 215 climbs out of Los Piños on a breezy July afternoon. There were many cows in the valley enjoying this day, as were we.

Photo 2: A little while later, the same train drifts down the 4% grade at ESS Curve.

We got the train arriving into town, got our dinner to go (much to my chagrin), then prepped ourselves for the departure of the Moonlight train. Our chase consisted of several shots through some places you can't normally do unless a train is either A) running when it's cloudy or B) running in the afternoon.

Photo 3: Our final photo of the train climbing was at the Pond below Coxo. Our breezy afternoon has dissolved, leaving the pond still as a mirror! The president, John Bush, was parked in front of us at this spot.

More, more, we want more!
~wko

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With the Moonlight train running all the way to Osier, we used the chance to get some shots that just don't happen: eastbounds dropping downhill in the afternoon. Our final shot of the train would be at the same spot we got the first shot of the day: Los Piños.

Photo 4: Cows are still ever-present as the train crosses the Rio de Los Piños.

After this, we headed back to The Hotel, where some much-needed ZZZZs were caught (mainly by me, as I had now been up for 30 straight hours). The next morning, we walked across the street to watch the locomotives service and prepare themselves for the day's trip. Wait, did I say locomotiveS? You betcha I did! We got to ride behind a doubleheader: 489 as the helper and 463 as the road engine! As soon as I could, I made my way to the lead platform and stayed there until Osier.

Photo 5: Our train is about to cross the original road on the approach to Cumbres.

We made our way into Osier, where I was able to get us a table with an outlet to charge my video battery (I had used roughly 80% of it already), then get the westbound 215 pulling in. We then got on that train and headed back to Chama.

Photo 6: Our new train is seen rounding the curve at Coxo, performing a blowdown.

Once we arrive back into town, it's chasing time yet again!
~wko

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When our train arrived into Chama, we used the hour between trains to grab our dinner and utilize The Hotel's power to charge batteries again. With about 10 minutes til departure, we made our way back across the street for the Saturday Dinner & Concert train.

Photo 7: 489 makes its 2nd trip up the hill of the day, as it departs Chama, passing the water tank here.

Photo 8: After several more runbys, 489 is on the approach to Windy Point, as seen from down below at Coxo.

We then ate dinner in the car while the riders enjoyed their time at the pavilion, then chased the train back into town. Once back into town, we headed back to The Hotel and re-coupped for our last day in Narrow Gauge Country.

Photo 9: July 17th's 216 departs Chama, passing the coal tipple and some D&RGW maintenance cars. K36 #484 does the honors on this day.

We're going that way anyway, so we might as well follow!
~wko

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Photo 10: Not a glamour shot at all, but a shot I like. The train makes its way up the hill, having just left the narrows, slowing for Lobato siding.

Photo 11: Train 216 passes the tank at Cresco. The amount of time we could hear the train coming and the echoing here were both fantastic!

After getting the train all the way to Los Piños, we did something I wasn't expecting us to do: drive in towards Sublette and Big Horn for the downhill portion of the eastbound trip. We had lunch and waited in Sublette for the train to arrive. It finally did with 463 leading. They had a brief stop right at the "townsite" to check something out, so I seized the opportunity to walk ahead of it and get a 2nd shot.

Photo 12: 463 is the locomotive on the train now, and pulls away from Sublette, passing the east switch here.

We would get the train one more time at Big Horn, then be on our way back to the northern part of the state, as we all had committments for Monday the 18th. It was certainly a very enjoyable trip, and we didn't even stay another day to get the school train!

This would be my last live steam experience of 2016, so it'll be the final part of my 2016 steam trilogy. I was debating going to the TVRM in November for their 630/4501 doubleheaders, but chose a trip to do the Transcon in Arizona instead (which was posted on the Western Board). I thank you for joining me on my trips, and for looking. I hope you enjoyed! See you all trackside in 2017!
~wko

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