The northern terminus of the train is the small Colorado town of Antonito, a short pumpkin toss from the New Mexico border. It's a small town that was a company town of the former railroad main line. It's home to the company's car shop, a water tank, station and gift shop. Chama, N.M., is the southern terminus and houses one of the most complete railroad yards, dating to the heyday of the steam railroads in America. The yard itself is very popular with railroad aficionados.

Railroad still steamin'

Ride on rare line one for memory

There's A New Train In Town

Antonito, Colorado 1914 Map

Vital Asset --The Pueblo Chieftain-Opinion-Editorials

THE CUMBRES & Toltec Scenic Railroad runs a route crossing the Colorado-New Mexico border between Antonito and Chama, N.M., during the summer tourist season. The railroad is jointly owned by the two states. 

But new federal regulations could cause a shutdown of the enterprise. The rail line recently told the Colorado Legislature’s Capital Development Committee that $150,000 in funding is necessary to assess bridge and trestle stability. If there are stability problems, the line would need to act quickly to continue operating. 

The $150,000 would be used as leverage to gain approval of a $2 million federal grant request. Capital Development will decide soon on which projects it will recommend for funding by the Joint Budget Committee. 

We believe this request should be honored. The railroad, which snakes its way over 64 miles of narrow gauge track and crosses the state line 11 times on its journey, is one of the few remaining examples of the original Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge line, a railroad built in the 1880s to serve miners and loggers in the San Juan Mountains. It’s an important piece of Colorado history. 

 It takes its passengers over trestles and through tunnels, climbing through the San Juan Mountains and giving passengers an awesome view of natural scenery. A one-way trip takes about six hours. 

The railroad’s economic implications are important for both Antonito and Chama. C&T commissioner Dan Love has noted that the railroad is the primary reason that there is any earned income in Antonito. The tourism dollars are important to that portion of Southern Colorado. 

This modest fund request should be honored because it’s the right thing to do.

http://www.chieftain.com/opinion/editorials/vital-asset/article_d33eb176-6735-11e1-b8db-001871e3ce6c.html

Antonito__church, sketches, small town

Conejos County Sesquicentennial Train Ride (Los Mogotes)

D&SNG to run Cumbres & Toltec

American Heritage Railways, which owns the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, has reached an agreement to manage the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, which runs between Chama, N.M., and Antonito. “We’re really excited about it,” said Al Harper, CEO of American Heritage Railways. “It’s all about the preservation of history.” An oral agreement was reached Tuesday between Harper and the chairman of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission, which operated the railroad for the states of Colorado and New Mexico, which jointly own the railroad. The agreement tentatively calls for American Heritage Railways to operate the line for five years, Harper said. He declined to disclose financial terms of the agreement until they are finalized in writing. American Heritage Railways tentatively is scheduled to take over operations Jan. 1. The Denver & Rio Grande built the railroad in 1880, and it was linked to Durango in 1881. Most of the track was dismantled about 1969, but a scenic portion of the line was saved and purchased in 1970 by Colorado and New Mexico for historic preservation. “The thing that’s most significant to me is the history behind it,” Harper said. The 64-mile line between Chama and Antonito travels over the 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass. It averages about 40,000 passengers per year, although numbers have been down the last two years because of a fire last year and the down economy, said Nick Quintana, spokesman for the railroad. “But things are looking good,” he said. “The tracks are in really good shape. “Mr. Harper has a pretty clean operation out there, and we’re excited to be a part of the American Heritage Railways family.” The Cumbres & Toltec is a narrow-gauge railroad, which means the steam engines and boxcars are transferable with the Durango & Silverton railroad. “It’s the exact equipment – all sister equipment – to what we have here,” Harper said. “We may exchange some equipment, and we may send some of our equipment over there to have special events.” Harper said he plans to create special events for the Cumbres & Toltec, similar to ones he puts on for the Durango & Silverton railroad. “We really believe we can do some great things for the Cumbres-Toltec,” he said. “It’s already a great railroad, and we’re just going to open it up to give more people an opportunity to enjoy what it has to offer.”

http://durangoherald.com/article/20111013/NEWS01/710139933/-1/s

Four Eight Niner Leaving Lil' Tony