Hammerin' up to Windy Point. A Rio Grande Freight slowly claws its way up the last few hundred yards toward the prominent rock formation known as Windy Point, which overlooks Cumbres Pass. ... (more)

Cumbres Vista. The crew DRGW 485 takes in the afternoon vista from the summit of Cumbres Pass, as they pause just west of Cumbres Station before proceeding down the 4% grade to Chama. Of ... (more)

A version in color of our Denver and Rio Grande narrow gauge freight as it sits under a quickly setting sun taking on some water prior to a departure to Chama. One of several unstaged scenes to b... (more)

Two days ago I posted a picture taken on Cumbres in September 1964, and here is one taken almost exactly 47 years later. The "485" switches at Cumbres on a Lerro charter. This is actually the C&... (more)

Switching at Cumbres Pass. A D&RGW Brakeman battles the glare of the evening sun as he and the crew of a westbound freight perform some switching moves in the yard at Cumbres Pass. His da... (more)

DRG&W #485 under starry, starry skies. Lighting by God, flash, by Lerro Productions. DRG&W #489 as #485, if just for 48 hours.

Topping Cumbres Pass. Coming out of the shadows of Tanglefoot Curve, a D&RGW Freight enters the evening sunlight at the 10,020 foot-level....the summit of Cumbres Pass. Shortly, she'll cro... (more)

Evening departure at Cumbres Pass. The last rays of sun poke through the clouds as a Denver & Rio Grande Western Freight eases out of Cumbres Station on the westbound run to Chama, and late... (more)

1951 or 2011?

While in Cumbres one September I made sure to document this scene. DRG&W #485 has long been scrapped after falling into a turntable pit and only the entrance of the full snow shed (as seen) now s... (more)

One of my early color images (from the two day Lerro Photo charter featuring #489 as #485).

DRG&W #489 subs as infamous DRG&W #485, back from the scrap yards after falling into the turntable pit in Salida in 1953. The engine returned to 2011, alas only for 24 hours.

In the snowshed at Cumbres Pass. Denver & Rio Grande Western #485 sits with her freight on a snowshed-covered leg of the Cumbres Pass Wye waiting for traffic to pass. For pretty obvious r... (more)

Steamscape - Tanglefoot Curve. Denver & Rio Grande Western #485 works upgrade westbound on Tanglefoot Curve with an afternoon freight bound for Cumbres Pass and Chama. For the first day o... (more)

Vista at Tanglefoot. In an effort to maintain a practical grade though the steep grades of both CO and NM, the Rio Grande engineered several horseshoe grades in it's lines easing the climb. In t... (more)