Steam & Excursion > Speed of sound on the Narrow Gauge

While driving west on Colorado 17 on 5/27/17, from Antonito to Chama to attend the Friends work session B, I stopped to take an iPhone picture of the Los Pinos Valley because it was saturated, having just emerged from the snowpack. I had planned to show a friend who would be a docent on board the trains the next week.
After I pressed the shutter, I was surprised by a whistle. This was well after the regular passenger trains were due. I then saw an eastbound coming out of the shadows and ran for my camera.
So here is DRGW 315 of the Durango Rail History group with what turned out to be the last move of a double headed train out of Antonito in the morning (regular train 215) that cut away these cars and the 315 at Cumbres and is now heading back east. This was taken with a long zoom with my pocket Canon.
Lastly here is a blow-up of the first image, with the train barely visible in the trees. You can see what I believe to be the steam from that whistle blast. It is about 0.7 miles from my highway vantage point (from Google Earth) or maybe 3 or 4 seconds away at the speed of sound. Another physics lesson?

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The eastbound train from Chama dropped those 4 cars off at Cumbres. The 315 detached from the Antonito train at some point and ran light to Cumbres, turned on the wye and took the 4 cars to Antonito on a dinner train. A busload of passengers got on board at Cumbres for this ride. Great shots!