EVENT | CHAMA
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad ready to roll again
The full line of the C&TSRR runs 64 miles between Antonito, Colorado, and Chama
Published
The iron horse is ready to run the rails again.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad lets people experience the romance of the West with the smell of smoke and the movement of the train, Joy Meadows, public relations specialist for the railroad, said.
For many, it is a bucket list trip that lets people experience the development of the West from New Mexico to Colorado, Meadows said.
The Cumbres & Toltec is on the National Register of Historic Places and is jointly owned by New Mexico and Colorado. The Cumbres Pass is the highest mountain pass reached by rail in the United States at 10,015 feet. The full line runs 64 miles between Antonito, Colorado, and Chama and crosses the New Mexico-Colorado border 11 times.
Eric Mason, CEO of the railroad, said the train is all about the experience, from the scenery to the history. He said the terrain is virtually untouched from its origins in the 1800s.
鈥�(Passengers) get to see some things that are there that are not readily available to see in other places in the world,鈥� Mason said.
He said the journey features high desert plains, forest areas, rock tunnels, massive gorges and more.
Meadows said there are also ranch lands where people can see cowboys herding sheep and it is very common to spot wildlife along the tracks. She said there is nothing better than riding the train up the cool mountains of Chama during the hot summer months and rolling through the beautiful, untouched wilderness.
鈥淚t is absolutely a feast for the eyes,鈥� Meadows said.
There are several trip options available, including an all-day trip, 鈥淎ll Aboard Chama,鈥� that goes from Chama to Antonito.
The train features several car options at various price points. The open-air gondola is available to all passengers.
The railway also offers unique rail experiences, such as a dark sky train and a geology train, both of which will be available this season. Mason said more experiences will be announced.
鈥淚 think it just runs through our DNA to share as much as we can across the track,鈥� Mason said.
The dark sky train, he said, was launched last year, and passengers will stop along the rail and disembark to gaze at the stars. The Chama departure stops at Tanglefoot Curve, where passengers can take pictures and listen to volunteers from Dark Sky International give a tour of the constellations.
鈥淎 lot of people like to take pictures,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淭he steam locomotive against the Milky Way, it鈥檚 magical.鈥�
The geology train includes stops that showcase the area鈥檚 minerals, rocks and history.
Mason said while the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is an experience, its focus is on preservation and education of the area.
鈥淲hat we must do as a company (is) to make sure that new families and generations come to the Cumbres & Toltec to experience not just the railroad itself, but the terrain,鈥� Mason said.
Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow from the New Mexico Local News Fellowship program. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.
