Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad

Operator changes

After the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was formed, a bi-state agency, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission was created and railroad operations were then contracted to third party rail operators. In 2012, the Commission formed its own operating company, Cumbres & Toltec Operating LLC,^[6] with the hiring of John Bush as president on December 13, 2012.^[7]

Notable incidents

National Historic Landmark

In 1973, the Cumbres & Toltec was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the boundaries were increased in 2007.^[1] In 2012, the railroad was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Locomotives

All of the steam locomotives currently operating on the C&TS are former Denver and Rio Grande Western 2-8-2 outside frame engines built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in the early 1900s. Among these are K-27 #463, the K-36 class, and the slightly larger K-37 class engines. In addition to the steam locomotives, the C&TS also operates two GE 47-ton switchers for light duties.^[12]

Passenger Cars

For passenger services, the Cumbres & Toltec operates a mixture of flat roofed and clerestory cars with interiors corresponding with the railroad's three classes of service: Coach, Tourist, and Parlor. The C&TS also operates special coaches configured to accommodate wheelchairs and house concession areas.^[14]

Locations along the line

• Chama, New Mexico 36°54′N 106°35′W / 36.900°N 106.583°W / 36.900; -106.583 (Chama)
• Cumbres Pass 37°1′N 106°27′W / 37.017°N 106.450°W / 37.017; -106.450 (Cumbres Pass)
• Osier, Colorado 37°1′N 106°20′W / 37.017°N 106.333°W / 37.017; -106.333 (Osier)
• Toltec Gorge, New Mexico 36°59′N 106°18′W / 36.983°N 106.300°W / 36.983; -106.300 (Toltec Gorge)
• Sublette Station 36°59′N 106°14′W / 36.983°N 106.233°W / 36.983; -106.233 (Sublette)
• Antonito, Colorado 37°4′N 106°1′W / 37.067°N 106.017°W / 37.067; -106.017 (Antonito)

Chama to Osier

Beginning in Chama (Milepost 344.12), the railroad proceeds northeast after leaving the yard and crossing the Rio Chama. About a mile later begins a 4% grade which is nearly constant from there to Cumbres. The first siding on the line is located at Lobato (MP: 339.99), located here are the remnants of a stock pen, and a water tank made for a movie in the 1970s. The tank was used later in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The water tank was knocked over in 2006, due to age and high winds. Just under a quarter of a mile away, is Lobato Trestle, the second-highest trestle on the line, built in 1883. Due to weight restrictions, only one locomotive at a time is allowed to cross; therefore, all double-headers must separate, and rejoin on the other side.

C&TS#487 in the Chama Yard

From here to Cumbres, the railroad operates on the north side of Wolf Creek. On the journey to the top at Cumbres, the train passes Cresco Siding and water tank (MP 335.10) and navigates a small canyon past Hamilton's Point. Exiting the canyon, the track makes a turn to the northwest and up the Wolf Creek drainage through Coxo. At a narrow point of the valley, the track makes a horseshoe turn up to Windy Point, which the train rounds to enter Cumbres Pass.

At Cumbres (MP 330.48), elevation 10,015 ft (3,053 m), is the Car Inspector's House, Water Standpipe, remnants of the extensive snow shed, and the Section House, which replaced the original depot after it was demolished in the 1950s. Cumbres is the highest point on the railroad. From here east, the track heads down at 2.5%, and descends the Cumbres Loop, more commonly refer to as "Tanglefoot Curve". After exiting the loop, the track follows a general easterly direction until Milepost 327.6, where they turn north up the Los Piños Valley.

Heading north, the track loses elevation, while the valley slopes up, with the track and valley floor finally meeting at Mile 325, where the track once again changes direction, heading south on the other side of the valley, following the Rio de Los Piños toward Osier. After Mile 323, the track again leaves the valley, on a much steeper grade, while the track clings to the valley created by the river. Along the way, the track crosses Cascade Trestle (MP 319.95), taller than the Lobato Trestle, at 137 ft (42 m). Approximately a mile and a half later, the track enters Osier, Colorado, the midpoint of the railroad where the two trains meet for lunch. Here, riders may switch trains and return to their point of origin, or ride to the opposing terminus.

Antonito to Osier

C&TS steam locomotive #484

This section covers the eastern portion of the line from the small cattle and junction town of Antonito to Osier, the midpoint of the line.

Antonito (MP 280.70) is a small company town of the former railroad main line. It is home to the C&TS car shop, a water tank, and other relics. Most of the facilities were built by the Cumbres & Toltec, as the original rail yard, wye, and station were not sold to the states of Colorado and New Mexico.

Shortly after leaving the station, the train heads straight for 3 miles (4.8 km), until coming into some hills. Shortly thereafter, the train crosses Ferguson's Trestle (MP 285.87), named for a man who was hung from a locomotive there. The original trestle was featured in the 1988 television movie Where the Hell's That Gold?, starring Willie Nelson and Delta Burke. In filming, a planned explosion ended up getting out of hand and the bridge was burned down. Traffic was halted for a week while the C&TS built a temporary bridge; the following winter it rebuilt the trestle to match the original. About three miles (5 km) later, the train makes the first of 11 crossings into New Mexico, and climbs a ledge up to a lava mesa. Lava (291.55) has the old water tank from Antonito, which was moved here in 1971. The track goes around a horseshoe curve that is also used as a reversing loop to turn the rotary snow plow trains from Chama. The Cumbres & Toltec has two rotary snowplows — Rotary OM and Rotary OY.

Heading west, the track rounds Whiplash Curve, a double horseshoe curve. About a mile from Whiplash Curve lie the sidings and wye at Big Horn. Past Big Horn the train loops around the sides of mountains going through horseshoe curves before reaching the first water stop at Sublette.

Sublette is an abandoned railroad section camp, consisting of a log bunk house, a section house, a siding, and other buildings. There used to be a water tank at the western end of the siding, but today, in its place, is a standpipe. After filling the tender with water, the engine and the train slowly creep into lush aspen groves.

After departing Sublette comes Toltec Siding, which in the 1950s was the meeting place of long oil well pipe trains moving between Chama and Farmington to Alamosa. Shortly afterwords, trains pass through Mud Tunnel, which is unique, because it is lined with wooden pillars, since it is bored through soft volcanic ash. When the beams in the tunnel collapsed, the D&RGW made a "shoo fly" around the tunnel to allow passengers and small cars to be moved around the tunnel to an awaiting train. After passing through this, trains pass around Phantom Curve and through Calico Cut, and then the trains slow down as they enter the longer Rock Tunnel. Trains exit the tunnel, entering the Toltec Gorge, where the track is 600 ft (180 m) above the river. The line follows the river the remainder of the distance to Osier.

• Line's terminus in Antonito
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  The entrance to the C&TS yard in Antonito, October 2012
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  The station and shed in Antonito, October 2012
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  The water tower in Antonito, October 2012
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  The yard in Antonito, October 2012
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  The station building in Antonito, October 2012

• Line's terminus in Chama
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  The coaling tower in Chama, October 2012
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  The water tower in Chama, October 2012
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  The shop in Chama, October 2012
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  The yard in Chama, October 2012
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  The depot in Chama, October 2012