This page is devoted to the real-life narrow gauge Cumbres & Toltec Railroad in Colorado USA. This railroad was originally constructed in 1880 as part of the San Juan Extension of the Denver & Rio Grande Western. The line was purchased by the States of Colorado and New Mexico in 1970 to function as a scenic railroad and living museum. You can visit the railroad’s website here and explore the history, scenery, and operations. A trip on this historic railroad is a truly memorable experience and not to be missed if you are visiting the State of Colorado. This first video is of a rare "photo" Freight Train from Osier to Sharma shot in 2008 on the superb Cumbres & Toltec Railroad in Colorado, probably the most spectacular in North America. First we see the mighty K-36 #487 tender being "topped off" at the Water Tower in historic Osier before the train charges up the Rocky Mountains to Tanglefoot Curve and the Cumbres Pass (10.015' above sea level) where fierce winter storms leave snow drifts 20 feet deep or more. The train makes several crossings backwards and forwards across the state lines before ending in Chama (New Mexico).
The next two videos have been shot more recently in June 2012.
DURANGO & SILVERTON SCENIC RAILROAD
Another famous historic narrow gauge railroad located in Colorado and is the Durango & Silverton
Durango was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1879. The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881 and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882, the tracks to Silverton were completed, and the train began hauling both freight and passengers.
The line was constructed to haul silver & gold ore from the San Juan Mountains, but passengers soon realised it was the spectacular scenery that was truly precious and as a result passenger trains pulled behind vintage steam locomotives and rolling stock indigenous to the line have been operating continuously for 130 years.
The two videos below show trips on the line in Summer and Winter.
We return to what is probably my favourite Narrow Gauge Railroad in the USA - the Durango & Silverton. This HD video captures the scenic journey from Durango, Colorado to the former silver mining settlement at Silverton in the San Juan Mountains.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad located in the Rocky Mountains in Clear Creek County, Colorado, in the United States.
The railroad operates summer tourist trains between the communities of Georgetown and Silver Plume, a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km). The railroad route is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long and ascends an elevation of 640 feet (195.1 m) through mountainous terrain along with trestles, cuts, fills, and a grand loop.