Riding the Iron Horse
Courtesy CTSR
the Cumbres & Toltrec Scenic Railroad's coal-powered steam locomotives cross the San Juan Mountains on narrow-gauge tracks
Hop aboard and make your way to the open gondola car to sit outside and watch as you climb a 4-percent grade, with tall black cliffs on one side and a sharp slope dropping off on the other. The top of 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass reveals a view of the steep, rocky San Juan Mountains—a landscape nearly untouched since the late 1800s, where wildlife like pronghorn antelope, coyote, rabbit, deer, and even elk still roam.
It was once common for railroads in the Western mountains to run on narrow-gauge tracks, which measure 36 inches between the rails instead of the standard 561/2. This offered two advantages: The construction was cheaper because it required fewer materials and allowed for smaller tunnels, bridges, and cars; and the narrow rails enabled locomotives to navigate sharper turns through the rugged mountains. When it became economically feasible, the Rio Grande Railroad converted most of its tracks to standard gauge, but since it eventually abandoned the C&T’s San Juan spur, the small rail line became frozen in time.
The route still includes a stop for lunch in the ghost town of Osier, Colorado, at a C&T–owned cafeteria and gift shop. For a day trip, return from Osier to be back in Chama by 4 pm (all trains depart at 10 am or 11 am)—or stay on all the way to Antonito, arriving at 4:15 pm, in time for a stroll before dinner. During the second half of the ride, you’ll look down into the gaping Toltec Gorge and pass through a mind-bending hand-carved rock tunnel, its ceiling gritty with a century of soot. In the tiny agricultural town of Antonito (population 873), you can spend the night right next to the depot at the Narrow Gauge Railroad Inn ($57–$64 per night for two guests; 719-376-5441, narrowgaugerailroadinn.info).
Although any visitor can take a ride on it now, in the 1880s trains on the C&T transported silver from mines in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to the larger Denver & Rio Grande rail line. Then in 1893 the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which required the government to purchase 4.5 million ounces of silver bullion every month from booming Western mines for use as U.S. currency, was repealed. The price of silver plummeted, and many Western rail spurs became obsolete. Use of the C&T dwindled until it was finally abandoned in 1969.
To preserve the derelict treasure, the New Mexico and Colorado state governments jointly purchased the Chama-to-Antonito leg of the C&T line in 1970, and one year later began carrying visitors as a scenic railroad. Since then, its workers have proved to be among its most ardent fans. Max Cassias, a conductor and brakeman (and a fourth-generation employee of the C&T), says his own interest in the train began when he was a child. This season, with kids in mind, the activity-laden Cinder Bear Express runs every Thursday during peak weeks. But according to Cassias, the real treat is the train itself. “Very rarely do kids get to look inside a real steam locomotive.”
Summer to mid-October; adults $49–$74, kids $25–$40; 505-756-2151, cumbrestoltec.com
