This week I took a little break from working on model railroads to get out there and ride the real thing! The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad should be near the top of any narrow gauge railway fan's bucket list. This spectacular rail line is a preserved 64 mile long remnant of the 3' gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western. It crosses and recrosses the Colorado and New Mexico border 11 times as it traverses some of the most spectacular and picturesque country in the United States. High mountain passes, sharp curves, steep grades, tall trestles, tunnels and a fleet of lovingly preserved coal powered narrow gauge locomotives all combine to make this the trip of a lifetime. So come along with me as we step back in time to the 1880s and take a ride on the Cumbres & Toltec from Antonito, Colorado to Chama, New Mexico!
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Howdy folks, Dave here at Thunder Mesa Studio where I've just returned from a fantastic
railroad adventure up along the New Mexico-Colorado border.
Yes, I'm talking about the justifiably famous Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, 64 miles
of the best-preserved and most spectacular narrow-gauge railroading in the United States.
The Cumbres and Toltec is a remnant of the old Denver and Rio Grande western narrow-gauge system
in Colorado and New Mexico. Its three-foot narrow gauge built in 1880 as part of the San Juan
extension of the Denver and Rio Grande. It runs right along the New Mexico-Colorado border between
Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico and along the way you pass through some amazing
scenery including Toltec Gorge and Cumbres Pass at 10,015 feet above sea level. There are high
bridges, tunnels, everything a narrow-gauge fan would want. In fact, I don't think you can call
yourself a real Denver and Rio Grande western fan or narrow-gauge fan if you have not ridden
the Cumbres and Toltec. So, come along with me today and let's take a ride on the Cumbres and
Toltec Scenic Railroad. There are full-day and half-day excursions available leaving from either
Chama, New Mexico or Antonito, Colorado and there's a bus that runs back and forth between the two
depending on which station you choose to leave from. We opted for the full-day excursion out of
Antonito, Colorado because we wanted to see the entire railroad from one end to the other
and we wanted to come from the east side so we could follow along the way the railroad was built
back in 1880. The entire railroad is a rolling museum administered by the states of New Mexico
and Colorado and the friends of the Cumbres and Toltec. We climbed aboard the beautifully restored
Denver and Rio Grande Western coach and left the Antonito Depot right on time. And now I'm
going to stop talking and let the trains and the scenery speak for themselves.
And what an amazing trip that was! I can't wait to go back and do it again. I want to thank
everyone at the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad for making our trip so wonderful and memorable.
And I want to thank all of you for watching today and if it's your first time here I hope you will
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Thunder.Mesa and see what's new on the Thunder Mesa Studio website at ThunderMesa.Studio. As
always, a huge shout out and thank you to our Patreon members who help to make these videos
possible. Until next time, keep moving forward my friends. Adios for now.
