C&TS and few others

[CGW101c]

2315 miles of driving, mostly to ride the C&TS but many stops on the way there and back. Being retired is great. Stuffed and mounted at the Royal Gorge is the 499 and couple of views into the gorge. Heard the train down there but didn't see. Apparently this is station to go up to the bridge. Aspens were at their peak. Great ride. Met the 488 at Osier where they switched out a car to take back to Chama.

 

[CGW101c]

After the ride we drove to Grants, NM to visit relatives. Got a motel room a few blocks from the BNSF Transcon. Constant parade of trains all night. High tailed back to eastern Colorado the next day along I 25. Saw Raton pass and only one train, Amtrak #3. Still some semaphores left on the line around Las Vegas, NM

 

[CGW101c]

I love riding the train and listening to the locomotive sound. This is my 3rd time there. Sometime I will get a 4 wheel drive and drive the back roads for some more unusual pics. But for now it is enough to ride and smell the coal smoke and pay for a ride to help secure the future of this historical piece of American railroading. It truly is a treasure and like they say, "Once you get narrow gauge into your system, it stays in with you forever." If anybody wants to hear the some of the 7 hours of sounds from the tender, PM me.

 

[wigwag]

For most of the back roads you will not need 4-wheel drive. Once you get off the Forest Service roads you could be in trouble w/o 10-ply tires.