C&TS 1979: Chama to Cumbres, 2 of 2

I recently sent off for digital transfer a 200 foot reel of Super8 Sound movie that I had edited many years ago. It was not labeled, so I had no idea what was on it. What came back was a doubleheader on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad from Chama to Cumbres filmed in October 1979. Needless to say, watching it brought back a flood of memories. Then it hit me: that was thirty years ago! A whole generation of railfans has come of age since then who have little or no idea what the C&TS was like in its first decade. When the States took possession of the line it had a seemingly unlimited supply of box cars -- but no passenger cars. So, as the saying goes, when you are dealt lemons, make lemonade. Scenic Railways, Inc., the line's first operator, converted a few of the box cars into very serviceable "tourist cars." (There actually was a prototype for these, as cars very similar in appearance were used on a small railroad in Southern New Mexico in the early 1900's.) By 1979, my last season on the C&TS, about 25 of these cars were in service and it was not unusual to see a 20 car train (maximum tonnage for doubleheaded K-36's) hauling 600 passengers up the 4% grade to Cumbres. That was just about the greatest show on earth. The standard operation in those days was one round trip per day between Chama and Antonito, one-way by train (6-1/2 hours) and one-way by bus (1-1/2 hours). Here we follow one of those trains up "the hill" through the spectacular colors of October. This, too, is history.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• C&TS
• Chama
• Colorado
• Cumbres
• Cumbres_&_Toltec
• excursion
• fall_foilage
• K-36
• locomotive
• mountains
• New_Mexico
• passenger
• rai
• train

[Strasburg1991]

at 5 20 what engine was that

[gothpapa]

I did not see an engine at or near 5:20 so I assume you are referring to the whistle. Since they were whistling for the Coxo grade crossing it would be the helper, #484. Keep in mind that this was originally recorded in Super 8 sound, which was not very good quality to begin with, and converted to digital, so the sound is likely distorted.

[bluedoris]

great . I rode the C&T few years back .great vacation. great country.

thanks. geoff.england.

[bonusbaba]

what can I say !