Colorado Vacation - 2004

Day 7 -  Steamin' Down The Line

Wednesday, September 1st

Antonito, Colorado, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Chama, New Mexico 

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 (click thumbnails for full size picture)

Arriving in Osier for the lunch break. The meal is included in the price of the train ticket, and is very good. We had turkey and all the fixin's, just like Thanksgiving. Even a slice of pumpkin pie.	Proceeding on the route, after lunch. The first of several high trestles that we would cross. This is Cascade Trestle, crossing Cascade Creek.
Perhaps my favorite picture taken on the whole trip, taken from the platform at the end of our passenger car. The small vehicle behind the train is to find and put out fires started by sparks flying out of the smoke stack.	The restored train depot at Cumbres. This is the highest point of the route, at 10,015 feet above sea level. Twenty foot snow drifts are common during the winter. We stopped here for water for the locomotive.
Filling up the "big gulp" cup at Cumbres	The rail bed as it makes its way through the mountains.
The rail bed as it winds it's was past Windy Point. The rails sit on a shelf carved out of solid rock. Hwy 17 runs just below the rail line. The arrow points to a guy standing on a large rock outcropping, watching the train.	Closer shot of the guy that climbed up on the rock.
Train crossing Lobato creek.	Locomotive venting steam from boiler to remove impurities that settle to the bottom. They normally do this in sparsely populated area's, where they don't have to worry about scalding anyone or anything. Trestles seem to be a good place.

Additional Links -

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railway