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| The Colorado Narrow Gauge | ||
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| In 1968, when the Denver & Rio Grande Western ran its last revenue trains over its narrow-gauge line from Alamosa to Durango and Farmington, no one could possibly have predicted the revival we have experienced since then. The main line was about to be abandoned, like hundreds of miles of narrow-gauge trackage before it, and eventual closure of the Silverton line was expected as well. How times change! | ||
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| Today not only is the Silverton branch still in service nearly year-round, but in 2000 seven locomotives will power as many as five daily trains in peak season. 64 miles between Antonito and Chama survived to become the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. And just as surprisingly, some narrow-gauge track has been relaid along the Colorado & Southern roadbed in the mountains west of Denver. And many lines abandoned in the 1950s or earlier are now public roads that can be driven almost year-round. | ||
Travel Tips On Line Resources Photo Locations Non-Rail Tips Personal Recommendations | ||
| The Trains | ||
| Most attention is focussed on the "San Juan Extension" lines; the Cumbres & Toltec and the Durango & Silverton. This article will also cover the Georgetown Loop recreation as well. | ||
| Cumbres & Toltec Scenic: this 64-mile line between Antonito, CO and Chama, NM is perhaps the most spectacular of the three lines. It features 4% (1 in 25) grades, climbs to over 10,000 feet in elevation, and often loops back upon itself to gain elevation. Each day a train from Antonito (generally a single engine) meets a train from Chama (often doubleheaded part-way) at Osier, a section camp roughly mid-way along the line. After a lunch stop, the trains return to their point of origin. Power is a mixture of ex-D&RGW Mikados -from the smallest, K-27 463, to four K-36s (484, 487, 488, 489) to the largest, K-37 497. | ||
| Durango & Silverton: A completely different experience from the ridge-running C&TS, the D&S spends most of its length at the shores of the Rio de las Animas Perditas, in one of the most beautiful canyons ever seen. In peak season, as many as five trains daily operate. The D&S also operates year-round except for a short break between Halloween and Thanksgiving; the daily winter departure runs to Cascade, roughly halfway to Silverton. D&S uses three ex-D&RGW K-28 Mikados (473, 476, 478) and four K-36s (480, 481, 482, 486). | ||
| Georgetown Loop: while not as historically accurate as the ex-D&RGW lines, the Georgetown Loop, running 3.25 miles between Georgetown and Silver Plume, CO, can claim 4% grades and the recreated Devil's Gate viaduct as its scenic highlights. Power is a pair of Shays and a pair of Central American 2-8-0s. | ||
| Download an information packet including this page's text and timetables for Colorado Narrow Gauge lines | ||
| Travel Tips | ||
| When To Go: Photography is perhaps most rewarding along these lines during the fall, when Aspens, Cottonwoods, and scrub oaks color the hillsides. Trains are also their longest on the C&TS at this time (the D&S gets most of its passengers during summer, and is down to two trains daily by fall colors). D&S's winter operations can also deliver beautiful pictures, if you are willing to work hard and settle for one or two shots in a day. And of course the C&TS has, in recent years, operated some manner of snow-clearing train prior to its May opening day. | ||
| The Weather: Moderate. In fall, it's not unusual to wake up to sub-freezing temperatures, with highs in the 60s (F). Fall tends to be sunny - an entire week of sunny weather isn't unusual. In May, termperatures can also be cold, with snow flurries possible into June. | ||
| Maps: Excellent maps are available from the C&TS and the D&S. Chama resident Doris Osterwald has produced "Ticket to Toltec," which features USGS maps, photos, and history along the C&TS; and "Cinders & Smoke," which provides the same for the D&S. The Georgetown Loop is visible from I-70, and its terminals can be reached by paved road. | ||
| Getting There: Flying into Narrow Gauge country usually means a small propeller-driven aircraft into Durango. Should you choose to drive, Durango is approximately six hours from Denver, CO and five hours from Albuqurque, NM. Antonito is approximately 5 hours from Denver, and 4 hours from Albuquerque. Chama is 3 hours from Albuquerque and 6 hours from Denver. Georgetown is approximately one hour from Denver. | ||
| Lodging: There are plenty of options all over this much-visited area. Durango is especially tourist-friendly and has over 100 hotels, but a true narrow-gauge enthusiast must experience the Strater Hotel, the first hotel in Durango, and still the best. National chains do not have outlets near the C&TS, but local hotels are excellent; you'll find a listing of most hotels in the area on the Cumbres & Toltec web site (see "online resources," below). If you plan to visit both, consider a hotel in Pagosa Springs, CO, midway between Durango and Chama. Georgetown, Silver Plume, and Silverton all feature bed-and-breakfast accomodations in historic houses. Hotels tend to run about $40-$100, depending on season and quality. If you want to focus on shooting the Animas Canyon, there are two resorts - Tall Timbers and The Ranch (formerly Ahh, Wilderness!) deep in the canyon itself, unreachable except by train or helicopter. | ||
| Food: Again, lots of options in this tourist destination. Durango offers fine dining as well as brewpubs. Chama offers a number of good restaurants serving the local spin on Mexican food, but the legendary Viva Vera's must be experienced. (Vera once served D&RGW crewmen as the cook at Kelly's Shamrock downtown, then converted a gas station into a restaurant. She now serves her fare in a building built in 1993.) | ||
| Money & Prices: You'll find ATMs in Chama, Durango, Silverton, and Georgetown. | ||
| Online Resources | ||
| Use the following links to plan your trip to Colorado Narrow Gauge country: | ||
| http://durangotrain.com - Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad - the official site for the railway. | ||
| http://www.cumbrestoltec.com - Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad - the official site for the railway. | ||
| http://www.gtownloop.com - Georgetown Loop Railroad - the official site for the railway. | ||
| http://www.crrm.org - Colorado Railroad Museum - the official site for the museum. | ||
| http://www.narrowgauge.org - The Narrow Gauge Circle - lots of interesting information in the form of a tour of the area. | ||
| http://www.godurango.com - City of Durango - the official site for the city. | ||
| http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/Colorado/Cities/Antonito - Town of Antonito - a Yahoo page with local resources. | ||
| http://www.chamavalley.com - Chama Valley Chamber of Commerce - the official site for the Chama Valley area. | ||
| http://www.strater.com - The Strater Hotel - if you're going to Durango, you pretty much have to stay at the Strater. It's the oldest and most historic hotel in town. | ||
| http://www.generalpalmer.com - The General Palmer Hotel - the other premiere hotel in Durango is the General Palmer. A bit more modern and expensive than the Strater, but still a wonderful hotel. (If like me you can't get access to the link above, try http://compuserve.bbchannel.com/bbc/p212471.asp.) | ||
| http://www.mapquest.com - MapQuest - order maps online. | ||
| http://www.xe.net/currency - Universal Currency Convertor - self-explanatory. | ||
| http://www.mastercard.com/cgi-bin/atm/ - MasterCard ATM Locator - Find a MasterCard or Cirrus ATM. | ||
| (Links are provided as a convenience and do not imply any endorsement of products or services offered on the linked sites.) | ||
| Photo Locations | |
| D&S: The first 15 or so miles of the D&S run through an increasingly developed corridor along US550. | |
 | Trains returning in the afternoon can be easily photographed from US550. |
 | At Hermosa, the line begins what will be a steady 2.5% climb all the way to Silverton. |
 | Just before entering Rockwood, the line snakes along a ledge in what just may be the most beautiful photo location on the line, popularly known as "Beaver Creek Canyon." |
 | After passing through Rockwood, the line curves through several rock cuts and out onto the "High Line," over a mile of level trackage hundreds of feet above river level. |
| If you want photos further into the canyon, plan on a long walk or buy a ticket on a photo train (there's at least one each year). Occasionally a group will charter a special consist (see "Special Trains" below). | |
 | Silverton is a tiny town that simply comes alive when the trains unload hundreds of passengers into the streets. |
| C&TS: East from Chama, twenty miles of the line, including the 4% assault on Cumbres Pass, is accessible from the road. | |
 | Whether during the day . . . |
 | or at night, the Chama yard area retains the feel of an earlier time. |
 | The climb begins in earnest at Lobato, where snowmelt forms a reflecting pool in the spring. |
 | Near Cresco, incredible views can be had from along highway 17. |
 | The final climb to Windy Point (background) and the summit at Cumbres is over two miles of twisting trackage. |
 | It's scenic in just about any season. |
 | The Los Pinos area affords incredible vistas from many angles. |
 | Trains returning from Osier are particularly photogenic as they negotiate the horseshoe curve at Los Pinos. |
| Between Los Pinos and Antonito, the line is accessible via dirt road or hiking. (Check your rental car agreement before heading off-road.) | |
| Georgetown Loop: This short recreation of the most famous stretch of Colorado & Southern trackage also features a mine tour at Georgetown. | |
 | There are certainly other photo angles to be had by hiking in from Silver Plume or Georgetown, but they don't compare to the views available from roadside of the Devil's Gate Viaduct. |
| The Colorado Railroad Museum | |
| It doesn't really rank as a photographer's dream destination, but fans of narrow-gauge railroading will find a visit to the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO (west of Denver) very enjoyable. | |
 | The museum fires up ex-D&RGW 2-8-0 346 several times a year and runs it around the museum's loop of track. |
| Special Trains | |
| All three of these railroads own a collection of freight cars that can be used for special photo trains. But because the C&TS and D&S have the most authentic collection of equipment, including locomotives, they get the most attention. There aren't many places in the US where one can photograph motive power and rolling stock in the environment it called home for decades. | |
 | Between 1981 and 1998, the owner of the D&S was not open to running freight trains to recreate the D&RGW era. Luckily the new owner is willing to do so. To the equal delight of photographers and employees, the Rocky Mountain RR Club's "Silverton Mixed" of December 1998 was the first authentic recreation on the line since abandonment in 1969. |
 | The C&TS has the biggest collection of operable freight cars (40 or so), and has been willing over the years to reletter its locomotives for specials. It's not hard to put together a train that would pass for a D&RGW freight, like this one at MP 285.5. |
 | The line west from Antonito, while hard to reach from the road, is incredibly scenic as the tracks climb a basalt mesa to Lava Tank. |
 | Compare this photo at Los Pinos with the earlier view of a passenger train there. |
 | The C&TS also operates its Rotary snowplow from time to time to clear its tracks in the spring. At Coxo, snow accumulations of several feet and the backdrop of Windy Point make for excellent photos for those willing to hike. |
 | Once over the top at Cumbres, the snow-clearing continues into the Los Pinos valley. |
 | Clearing snow with a rotary snowplow isn't fast work. It seems there's always some reason to stop for a few minutes. |
 | With the equipment often still lettered "Rio Grande" from charters in the previous season, a truly authentic rotary train can be created. |
| Exploring Abandoned Lines | |
| Although many of the Colorado narrow-gauge lines have been abandoned, it is possible to travel over them, as the continue to exist as dirt roads. Many of the most scenic are within one hour's drive of Salida, in central Colorado: Marshall Pass between Poncha Springs and Sargents, and Boreas Pass between Como and Blue River, are the most scenic. And much of the standard-gauge roadbed of the Colorado Midland between Colorado Springs and Eagle is driveable, particularly Hagerman and Crooked Creek passes west of Leadville. The other easily-toured segment of abandoned right-of-way is the Chama-Durango line. Between Chama and Dulce the line parallels highway 64; from Dulce a dirt road following the Navajo river has taken over the old roadbed as far as Juanita. | |
 | East of Navajo, the boulder that caused the last big accident on the D&RGW narrow gauge is still in place, the rails peeking out from below. |
 | The original steel railroad bridge now holds the road at Navajo. The water tank is still in position. |
 | At Gato (Pagosa Junction), many of the D&RGW buildings still stand for now, as well as the Gomez store. The line is generally accessible to Arboles, from where it is fenced in sections and developed in others. |
| Non-Rail Tips | |
| You could spend a year in this area and not exhaust the options available to the tourist year-round. From the Anasazi ruins at Mesa Verde, to the ski resorts at Purgatory and Telluride, to the tremendous scenery of Brice Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, and the Painted Desert to Monument Valley, it's hard to imagine that you'll ever run out of things to do or see. | |
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| Personal Recommendations | |
| First, let me explain how I travel, so you can adjust my recommendations as you need to. I don't often travel alone - either my wife comes with me, or I join forces with one or two friends. I'm not willing to suffer to conserve money, so I'm not looking for the cheapest hotel or restaurant. Nor do I exclude a little tourism once a few nice photos are in the bag. | |
| Cars & Hotels: Cars can be rented at any airport in the area, with Durango and Alamosa being the closest facilities. In Durango I always stay at the Strater Hotel. In Chama, I always stay at the Chama Trails Inn. | |
| Food: In Chama, the traditional start to the day is at Foster's, directly across from the C&TS yard. Good coffee, great breakfasts. Lunch in Chama might be out of a picnic basket, or a quick run back into town for a burger or burrito at one of the local restaurants. Dinner is almost always at Viva Vera's. Durango offers a much bigger selection than Chama for dinner, and I've tried most of the restaurants on Main Avenue at one time or another. | |
| Trip Strategy: While meaning no disrespect to the Georgetown Loop, it's an easy shoot compared to the ex-D&RGW lines, and can be photographed in a single day. Give yourself several days, preferably a full week, if you want to thoroughly photograph both the D&S and C&TS, longer if you plan to do any hiking. If you do decide to hike into the Animas Canyon, go in July or early August when there are four daily trains operating, or during a special event like the August 1998 Railfest. Hiking in along the C&TS is a lonelier proposition - on a normal day you'll only see one train in each direction. I'd recommend buying a ticket on a freight charter if you want to photograph the more remote stretches of the C&TS. | |
| Download an information packet including this page's text and timetables for Colorado Narrow Gauge lines. | |
| Enjoy Your Trip! Add your comments to this page | |
| YOU ARE BROWSING THE OLD STEAMCENTRAL.COM. TO SEE OUR LATEST ENTRIES, CLICK HERE. | |