Day 2 - Sunday 10/25/2025 - Rear Train Helper to Cumbres and then Down Grade to Antonito
This was the day the trip was all about. The 487 and 488 were to take a cut of 21 cars and 2 cabooses from Chama to Cumbres. The 487 was to be the road engine in the lead and the 488 was cut in in front of the two cabooses.
The original plan was for all of us riders to be on the train for the climb but the railroad wasn't fond of us in the rider cars ahead of the 488 heading up grade. So the compromise was to ask us to drive to Cumbres and board there. The climb from Chama to Cumbres parallels the highway anyway and all of the good photos would be from the road so not many were upset at all! A second caboose was added to the consists to accommodate those that wanted to ride up to Cumbres but I am thinking not many did.
I was up a little before 6:00am but took my time getting ready. The Iron Horse Inn had made several improvements to the rooms over the Hotel n Shops and the rooms were solid at this point. I made it to the yard about 7:00am to watch the two engines be serviced for the day in the crisp 35F morning air. While most of the riders, and myself, had checked in and gotten our lanyards and passes the day before, there was a safety briefing at the depot prior to the 8:00am departure. That is where they laid out the situation about asking to drive ourselves to the summit. They did ask for those other car pool if able. I raised my hand as willing to ride with others or drive and found a ride with Richard Roberts along with Tom Vaughn, both proved to be great companions!
The three of us, with Richard driving, decided to head out of the yard and catch the train at the first grade crossing. In hind sight, this was a mistake as we waited about an hour at the first grade crossing as the crew took their time putting the train together and getting the air test completed. I do wish we would have hung out in the yard to watch the process unfold and the dramatic departure from the yard. But atlast the 487 charged past the first road crossing about 8:45, about 45 minutes late on compared to the schedule.
It was a fantastic chase up to Cumbres with Robert and Tom both not as familiar with the C&TS as I was, I called the shots on where to pull over, though I proved to be a bit rusty myself. After the first road crossing we hit the classic locations such as the narrows, the second grade crossing and from windy point down to Coxo before watching the trial arrive at Cumbres.
The original plan was for all of us riders to be on the train for the climb but the railroad wasn't fond of us in the rider cars ahead of the 488 heading up grade. So the compromise was to ask us to drive to Cumbres and board there. The climb from Chama to Cumbres parallels the highway anyway and all of the good photos would be from the road so not many were upset at all! A second caboose was added to the consists to accommodate those that wanted to ride up to Cumbres but I am thinking not many did.
I was up a little before 6:00am but took my time getting ready. The Iron Horse Inn had made several improvements to the rooms over the Hotel n Shops and the rooms were solid at this point. I made it to the yard about 7:00am to watch the two engines be serviced for the day in the crisp 35F morning air. While most of the riders, and myself, had checked in and gotten our lanyards and passes the day before, there was a safety briefing at the depot prior to the 8:00am departure. That is where they laid out the situation about asking to drive ourselves to the summit. They did ask for those other car pool if able. I raised my hand as willing to ride with others or drive and found a ride with Richard Roberts along with Tom Vaughn, both proved to be great companions!
The three of us, with Richard driving, decided to head out of the yard and catch the train at the first grade crossing. In hind sight, this was a mistake as we waited about an hour at the first grade crossing as the crew took their time putting the train together and getting the air test completed. I do wish we would have hung out in the yard to watch the process unfold and the dramatic departure from the yard. But atlast the 487 charged past the first road crossing about 8:45, about 45 minutes late on compared to the schedule.
It was a fantastic chase up to Cumbres with Robert and Tom both not as familiar with the C&TS as I was, I called the shots on where to pull over, though I proved to be a bit rusty myself. After the first road crossing we hit the classic locations such as the narrows, the second grade crossing and from windy point down to Coxo before watching the trial arrive at Cumbres.
Now traditionally, the two engines would turn back to Chama and then bring up a second cut of cars. Then the two (or sometimes three) cuts would be combined and the road engine take the entire train to Antonito. In the interest of time (and cost) the 487 proceeded to Antonito with the 21 cars and a caboose with the 488 running light ahead as per tradition. The second caboose was left at Cumbres along with all of our cars.
We again, hit favorite sites like Tanglefoot Curve and Cascade Trestle. We stopped at Osier for a bathroom break and picked up our box lunches before continuing on. We did multiple run-bys at Phantom curve in excellent light! We finished the day with some high desert, glint shots as we neared Antonito. We made it into town just in time at 6:00pm.
The railroad had a bus to take us back to Chama. It stopped at Cumbres to drop off those that had cars there and Tom and I both got off with Richard to ride down with him, I think on this…
We got back to Chama at 7:30pm and I ended up having dinner at my hotel, the Iron Horse Inn with Tom. There weren't many tables in the Iron Horse but the foot was pretty good. Chama is known for having shaky dinner options in the evening but places either closing oddly early or just not being open that day so considering that the food was actually pretty good, I had no problem supporting the Iron Horse Inn's kitchen. The place was pretty busy with the Hallmark film crew around anyway.
I was dead tired after a long day slogging on and off the train in the high altitude sun but it was so very worth it. I was out shortly after dinner.
We again, hit favorite sites like Tanglefoot Curve and Cascade Trestle. We stopped at Osier for a bathroom break and picked up our box lunches before continuing on. We did multiple run-bys at Phantom curve in excellent light! We finished the day with some high desert, glint shots as we neared Antonito. We made it into town just in time at 6:00pm.
The railroad had a bus to take us back to Chama. It stopped at Cumbres to drop off those that had cars there and Tom and I both got off with Richard to ride down with him, I think on this…
We got back to Chama at 7:30pm and I ended up having dinner at my hotel, the Iron Horse Inn with Tom. There weren't many tables in the Iron Horse but the foot was pretty good. Chama is known for having shaky dinner options in the evening but places either closing oddly early or just not being open that day so considering that the food was actually pretty good, I had no problem supporting the Iron Horse Inn's kitchen. The place was pretty busy with the Hallmark film crew around anyway.
I was dead tired after a long day slogging on and off the train in the high altitude sun but it was so very worth it. I was out shortly after dinner.
