Cumbres and Toltec Railroad

We took a great excursion trip on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad, from Antonito, Colorado, to Chama, New Mexico. This is a real steam line, burning coal. The line climbs up to a 10,000 foot pass, and we really enjoyed the autumn colors. The next day, we drove to some trackside areas, and took photos of the train heading uphill from Chama. See: swansonphotos.com/cumbres

Taken as we reached the summit of the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad. The line runs between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado. The summit is near 10,000 feet. The aspens (and others) were displaying remarkable colors. Some of the blur is the motion of the train, some of the blur is bokeh. For the Sunday Challenge, this is a nice way to enjoy the change of seasons. Winter will be along soon enough. At least the conifers in the background will stay green throughout the seasons. See: swansonphotos.com/cumbres

We took a great excursion trip on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad, from Antonito, Colorado, to Chama, New Mexico. This is a real steam line, burning coal. The line climbs up to a 10,000 foot pass, and we really enjoyed the autumn colors. The next day, we drove to some trackside areas, and took photos of the train heading uphill from Chama. See: swansonphotos.com/cumbres Some history: this line was originally part of the extensive network of the Denver and Rio Grande Western, one of the few narrow-gauge railroads to survive from the 19th century. When that line was seriously curtailed, and would have disappeared, two states took these parts over as tourist (scenic) railroads. In this case, the operation is run by the states of Colorado and New Mexico. The other section run currently is the Durango and Silverton, entirely within Colorado. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver_and_Rio_Grande_Western_Railroad

After our day's tour on the Cumbres and Toltec railroad, we spent the next day driving along the track area, and stopped at an overlook, waiting. The double-header came through the trees (with fall foliage), working uphill from Chama, New Mexico. Great sight. (looks good on a black background) See: swansonphotos.com/cumbres/cumbres.html