Went on a photo charter on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Rail Road (C&TSRR) on a beautiful fall day. I arrived at the train station in Antonito around 5:20 am. The train departed about 6:00 am in the near darkness.
The first stop was at Hangman’s Trestle at sunrise. Being a little rusty with my camera I missed getting the train silhouetted with sunrise colors. The warm morning light was still quite nice.
The Rio Grand 168 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883. (Wikipedia)
This morning’s “Double Header” was seconded by the Rio Grand 315.
Silhouette on the way to the Lava water tank.
The third stop was at the D&RGW Sublette Section House. By this time it had started to rain rather steadily and continued to do so the entire rest of the trip.
The passenger cars we rode in were built in the 1880s and are typically housed inside except for special excursions such as this. They did not have electricity and the pot belly stoves inside the cars were not allowed to be used because fires in 140 year old train cars is somewhat frowned upon.
The humidity made for an exceptionally steamy day.
The next stop was at Rock Cut (?).
Phantom Curve
Cumbres & Toltec Rock Cut tunnel.
Denver and Rio Grande Western 315 is a C-18 class 2-8-0 “Consolidation” type narrow-gauge steam locomotive that was originally built for the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1895. (From Wikipedia)
Lunch stop was at Osier where the 315 was to be separated and sent down ahead of the 168 and the cars. A second set of crew members (engineer, fireman, conductor and brakeman) for the trains was to meet us here, however due to the heavy rains they arrived quite late. The 315 then headed down to Sublette where a photo session with both engines was to take place.
It was soon discovered there was an issue with the air compressor on the 168. The machinist was on the van that had headed back to town. Both the crew van and engine 315 were out of radio range and were unable to hear calls to return to Osier. The van was contacted sooner than 315 and returned to Osier and was able to begin repairs on the 168.
The 315 was one mile from Sublette before it was able to be contacted and requested to return to Osier as it was uncertain if repairs on the 168 would be successful. Traveling in reverse the 315 made slow progress. It also had to be cautious to look out for fallen rocks which were more difficult to observe traveling in reverse.
Repairs to the 168 proved to be successful however the 315 was once again out of radio range and could not be informed that they did not need to come all the way back to Osier. By the time they were contacted they were too far from Sublette to return with the water they had on board had to continue back to Osier for the water necessary to make it back down.
The total delay at Osier was near on five hours. Fortunately we had quite the story teller in our car who kept us well entertained while we waited.
The 315 on the other side of the valley ahead of us.
In the dimming light of the evening the light from the open fire box could be seen lighting up the steam behind the engine.
One last quick stop at Sublette before a long, dark, cold trip back to Antonito where we arrived around 9:45pm
What a wonderful trip!