A charter freight with a mid-train helper is heading west past MP 309, one of the most dramatic locations on the railroad. A pretty good recreation of DRGW operations during the 50's and 60's. T... (more)

As the day's light is rapidly disappearing our chartered freight passes Apache Crossing and starts the final climb to Cumbres. The DRGW ran its last revenue freight over this line in 1968, and the... (more)

A Cumbres turn rounds Windy Point on its way to Cumbres with a cut of cars headed for Alamosa. Two or three cuts will be put together for a long train down the other side of the pass. Today the v... (more)

With D&RGW #484 in the lead, the daily C&TS excursion follows a shelf high above the Rio de los Pinos.

It's fall of 2009, and my son and I are in town for a Friends of the Cumbres and Toltec #315 special, but of course we HAVE to show up a day early so we can chase steam through the backcountry. He... (more)

Passengers are happily chowing down in the dining hall, but the crews still have work to do before our trains can continue on to their destinations in Chama and Antonito. Engine #484's fireman is... (more)

Outside the Alamosa shops ready to head West to Chama

An HTP 35 car charter freight heads west toward Osier around MP 317. The Friends of the C&TS helped make such a long train happen.

The off beat bark from a pair of Baldwin K-36s fill the crisp fall air as they team up to work westbound tonnage up Cumbres Pass. K-36 489 with its swing helper 484 have been dressed up in Rio Gra... (more)

The start of another work day. The passenger train conductor heads over to #484 to confer with the engineer.

Hammerin' uphill at Hamilton's Point. D&RGW Locomotive #484 leads a 2-engine, 17-car, Cumbres Turn around the contours of the west side of Wolf Creek Canyon, just past the rocky outcroppin... (more)

Working hard at Dalton. Engineer Jeff Stebbins has DRGW 484 hooked up as he watches the craziness at Dalton crossing from the best seat on the train. His water bag hung from the cab wind... (more)

Steamscape: Lobo Lodge. Two K-36 Locomotives, 17 freight cars and one caboose make up this morning's Cumbres Turn, which is seen here hammering up the legendary 4% grade from Chama to Cumb... (more)

DRGW K-36 #484 is seen shortly after departing Antonito for Osier and eventually Chama, NM.

The Cumbres Turn. Two Denver & Rio Grande Western K-36 Locomotives haul a large cut of boxes, tanks and gons eastbound out of the Chama Yard, as they begin the run up the 4% grade to Cumbr... (more)