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The Cumbres
and Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&TS)
is a narrow gauge heritage railway running between Antonito, Colorado
and Chama, New Mexico. The track was originally laid in 1880 by the
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. Starting in 1970, the railroad began to
take tourists on six-hour trips between the two towns, using steam
locomotives. The railroad has also been featured in several movies,
including Indiana
Jones
and the Last Crusade.
Today the C&TS Railroad is comprised of 64 miles of
former
Denver and Rio Grande Western trackage. While officially headquartered
in Chama, New Mexico, the railroad splits most of its functions between
the terminuses of the railroad. At its Antonito end, the Cumbres and
Toltec Commission offices are headquartered, along with the railroad's
main car shop, where repairs to rolling stock are performed. The main
center of actual operation for the railroad is located in Chama, where
the locomotive repair shop is located.
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Most
riders opt to leave from Chama, New Mexico, the
southernmost point on the railroad. Chama today is a small village, but
considered hallowed ground by many Railfans. Chama now houses one of
the most physically complete railroad yards in the country. Though
portions of the roundhouse, warehouses, and parking lots have been
changed, the railroad yard still has the feel of 1960 and earlier. The
Yard Tracks are nearly filled to capacity with authentic
rolling stock of the Denver and Rio Grande Western and indigenous
to the railroad line. Even the locomotives of the railroad were built
for the C&TS's precursor, all 2-8-2 Mikados. From the rare K-27
"Mudhen", #463, once owned by Gene Autry, to the homebuilt K-37's built
by the D&RGW in 1929-30 in the railroad's Burnham Shops. The
mainstay of the fleet, is the venerable K-36 fleet, turned out by
Baldwin Locomotive Works in August of 1925. The arguable "flagship" of
the line is K-36, #487, which has seen the most service in the
operation of the railroad.
There are four steam
locomotives
in active service right now (K-36 locomotives 484, 487, 488, and
newly added to the fleet 489).
Work is set to begin on 463 in
November, for a fifth locomotive in the C&T fleet. .
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