Into Another EraBy Deborah Stone

There’s something special about rail travel; it forces you to sit back, relax and just enjoy the passing scenery from the comfort of your window seat. Time slows down

and the stresses of everyday life start to ebb the further you get

from the station. You ease into the rhythm of the train’s motion

and realize how much you revel in the simplicity of the situation.

ABOVE Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Photo by Yvonne Lashmett

There are only a few historic train routes that remain in existence today, kept alive and operated by private organizations with

a mission to preserve and interpret the railroad as a living history museum. Of these, there are just a handful that continue to be run by steam engine, once the power of American industry before the widespread use of gasoline and electric.

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is one of the finest examples of narrow gauge mountain steam railroading in the country. Thousands of people ride

this famed train each year from May through October, embarking on the ride of a lifetime as they travel between New Mexico and Colorado. Trains depart from either Chama in northern New Mexico or from Antonito on the Colorado side. Passengers can ride the train for the full 64 miles and then hop on a motor coach for the return journey or they can opt to take it to the halfway point, Osier, and return by train. Both itineraries include an all-you-can eat lunch in Osier.

Seating preferences range from the lux parlor car or the roomy tourist car to the budget-friendly coach car. Know that

wherever you sit, you’ll be able to walk around to your heart’s content, take up position in the vestibules between cars or head out to the open air gondola car, where knowledgeable docents provide information about the geology and history of the area.

The train heads over Cumbres Pass, the highest mountain pass reached by rail in the United States, where you’ll be rewarded with picturesque alpine meadows and spectacular vistas of snow-dusted mountains. It then descends around Windy Point, one of the most famous places in American railroading, where the rails are laid on a rock shelf carved out of the face of the cliff. And then there’s Tanglefoot Curve, a loop so tight that it almost seems the locomotive will come face-to-face with the caboose. The train also crosses 137-foot-high Cascade Creek Trestle, the tallest bridge on the line. Along the way, take note of several original buildings that remain on the route, including the historic section house once the quarters of the section foreman and his family.

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is another proud vestige of the spirit that conquered the West.

PHOTOS IN THIS PAGE Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Photos by Deborah Stone and Emmaly Wiederholt

Originally constructed in 1882 to haul silver and gold ore from Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, people soon realized it was the view that was truly precious. Today, this scenic railroad has garnered a reputation for being one of the world’s top 10 most exciting train rides.

Passengers have their pick of several different seating options. In presidential class, the Victorian splendor of a bygone era awaits you on the Cinco Animas, one of the most legendary and historic private cars to ever grace the narrow gauge rails. Two elegant appointed seating areas are available in this class, along with an exclusive outdoor viewing platform. First class cars offer plenty of comfort and style, along with custom amenities, while deluxe cars provide roomy seats in vintage coaches or open-air gondolas. Standard-class is the best bet for budget-minded folks.

For those interested in learning about the scenery and the historical significance

of the area, the historic narration coach is the place to be. Narrators dressed in period clothing will relate tales in first-person storytelling as they assume the persona of an actual individual involved in the settling of the West.

You’ll relive the sights and sounds of yesteryear as you ride the train along the Animas River through wilderness inaccessible by any road. The railroad winds amid impressive and breathtaking canyons in the remote wilderness of the two-million acre San Juan National Forest for a memorable year-round adventure. It’s Colorado at its best, as you take in roaring waterfalls and majestic peaks, along with the occasional glimpse of wildlife roaming in the verdant forests. You’ll be traveling on the same tracks that miners, cowboys and settlers of the Old West took over a century ago.

If you go:www.cumbrestoltec.com

www.durangotrain.com

PHOTOS IN THIS PAGE Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Photo by Yvonne Lashmett