Type: Photos
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Cumbres Pass on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Read This Post: Cumbres Pass on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadWell, we’ve reached the summit of Cumbres Pass. After stopping to take on more water, it’s time to continue on. While we’re going downhill a bit to get to Osier, it’s not completely all downhill from here. After all, we’ve still got many more hours on this trip and we’ve got to get to the…
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Cumbres and Toltec Steam Engine No. 489
Read This Post: Cumbres and Toltec Steam Engine No. 489Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad steam engine No. 489 (formerly of the Denver and Rio Grande Western) sits in the railyard in Chana, New Mexico, waiting to haul today’s train over Cumbres Pass to Osier. No. 489 only works on the west side of the railroad, which runs to Antonito, Colorado, and will return back…
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San Juan Mountain Foothills on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Read This Post: San Juan Mountain Foothills on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadOnce we get out of the San Juan Mountains, it’ll be time to dash across the San Luis Valley to try to beat the rain to Antonito. But for now we’ll continue to enjoy the cloud cover, cooler temperatures and amazing views from the train.
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Looking West Over the San Juan Mountains
Read This Post: Looking West Over the San Juan MountainsThe San Juan Mountains are on the southern end of the Rocky Mountains and feature six of Colorado’s famed 14-ers (mountain peaks over 14,000 feet above sea level). Back in the heyday of the railroad, this was the best (and perhaps only) way to get out of the San Juans and over to the front…
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Views of the San Juan Mountains
Read This Post: Views of the San Juan MountainsWe are now well away from state highway 17, and we’re seeing views you can only get from the railroad. The clouds are increasing overhead as rain appears to be moving in, but the views we can see from here are still fantastic.
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San Juan Mountain Views from the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Read This Post: San Juan Mountain Views from the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadThe views you can see on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad are some of the best the San Juan Mountains have to offer. And they are hard to get if you’re only traveling by car. From our perch out here on the open air gondola car, we’ve got a 360 degree view of some…
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Rio de Los Pinos Next to the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Read This Post: Rio de Los Pinos Next to the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadWe’re now headed up into this small valley along the Rio de los Pinos. This flat section of track is new to us as the vast majority of the trip so far has been uphill. But this valley provides a respite for the engine and her crew. And we get to enjoy more stunning views.
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Small Valley Along the Rio de los Pinos
Read This Post: Small Valley Along the Rio de los PinosThe Rio de los Pinos provides a great habitat for fish and makes for a great fishing spot. But we’re not here to fish today … unless you count fishing for the perfect photo.
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East of Osier on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Read This Post: East of Osier on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadWell we’ve stopped for lunch in Osier, and now we’re back on the train to continue our journey to Antonito. We’ve switched engines now as engine No. 455 leads us along the eastern side of the line sporting the Rio Grande Southern on her tender. Only a few more hours to go to our destination.
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Looking Back to Chama on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Read This Post: Looking Back to Chama on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadWe are now well away from the town of Chama, New Mexico, and it’s quite obvious that we’ve gained a lot of elevation in the 30 minutes or so we’ve been traveling so far as we look back to the south and west. But there’s still more climbing to do before we get to Cumbres…
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Sangre de Cristo Mountains from the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Read This Post: Sangre de Cristo Mountains from the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadRain is finally starting to move in on us, and it’s time we get back to our seats and into cover. But before we leave this fantastic viewing platform on the gondola car, let’s get one more shot of the small hills of the San Juans and the larger peaks of the Sangre de Cristo…
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Highway 17 on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
Read This Post: Highway 17 on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadOur trip to Antonito, Colorado, on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad will take roughly six hours. But our trip back to Chama on a bus will only take an hour or so on state highway 17, seen below in the valley. But the views we get to see from the railroad will beat out…
