After topping her 5000 gallon tender tank, the former Denver & Rio Grande Western Locomotive #484 pulls away from the double-spouted Chama Tank and heads for the coaling dock. Of the four operable K-36s on the Cumbres & Toltec, the 484 was the only one that was not sporting a plow pilot during my visit. While late September might sound just a bit early for the plows, Cumbres Pass just a few miles outside Chama, had just received several inches of new snow on the day before this shot was taken!
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.