Topping Cumbres Pass! After a hard struggle up the slippery rails on Tanglefoot Curve, K-36 #484 eases her generous passenger consist into the yard at Cumbres Pass...10,015 ft above sea-level. Old 484 is looking forward to a drink from the Cumbres standpipe, but her passengers are just looking forward to being at a lower elevation. The C&TS trains are generally unheated and conditions in the open cars are a tad brisk this day. Unfortunately, many of the passengers weren't exactly prepared for these conditions. You see, this shot was taken on September 24th, just two days after the autumnal equinox....it was summer when most of these folks left home!
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are all that remains of the legendary Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge system. Here you'll find some of my favorites from these two beautiful railways.
