Light moves. The Cumbres & Toltec's trusty K-36 #488 comes off the 310 ft. span of the Lobato Trestle in an early morning light run from Cumbres Pass back to Chama. A couple of locomotives were out of service this day and double-heading was not an option, so the 488 had run a few empty coaches up to Cumbres Pass, where some passengers would have to be taken by bus. With the fickle high-country weather, elderly equipment and aging infrastructure, the C&TS is used to creating Plan Bs...and sometimes Plan Cs. In late June of 2010, the railroad faced perhaps its greatest challenge in recent memory. The wooden bridge deck you see here was destroyed in a fire, which may well have been caused by cinders from the locomotive. Although the nearly 120 year-old iron structure remained standing, Engineers had to be called in to determine whether or not it was still sound enough to be used. As of one month later, that determination still has not been made. As they have so many times before, the C&TS folks have come up with a Plan B, and the railroad continues to run. An entire trainset was trucked from Chama to Cumbres Pass and the new (hopefully temporary) western terminus of the line has been established at Cumbres Station. Passengers from Chama are bussed to that location, where the daily train sets off for Antonito. Here's hoping that old Lobato Trestle is still in good shape and can be back in service sometime soon!
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.
