Chama,
New Mexico
(Cumbre & Toltec Scenic Railroad)

The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, often abbreviated as the C&TSRR, is a 3 ft narrow-gauge heritage railroad that operates on 64 miles of track between Antonito, Colorado, and Chama, New Mexico, in the United States. The railroad is named for two geographical features along the route: the 10,015-foot high Cumbres Pass and the Toltec Gorge. Originally part of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad's narrow-gauge network, the line has been jointly owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico since 1970.  The C&TSRR is one of only two remaining parts of the former D&RGW narrow-gauge network, the other being the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG), which runs between Durango and Silverton, Colorado. The railroad has a total of 10 narrow-gauge steam locomotives (5 operational) and 2 narrow-gauge diesel locomotives on its current roster. The railroad also operates two smaller former D&RGW steam locomotives, Nos. 315 (owned by the Durango Railroad Historical Society) and 168 (owned by the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado), for special events and excursions.  On February 20, 1880, track crews of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway (D&RG) began to lay the first rails of the San Juan Extension going south from Alamosa, Colorado, toward Antonito, Colorado, arriving in March of that year. The company chose the narrow gauge of three feet instead of the standard gauge of four feet eight and a half inches. This was because narrow gauge was cheaper to build, and narrow gauge railways can accommodate tighter-radius curves. This allowed laying track where standard gauge would not fit. From Antonito, the line continued west to Chama, New Mexico, arriving there on December 31, 1880. The track had come 64 miles (103 km) through two tunnels, over a 10,015-foot mountain pass, and skirted a 600-foot gorge.  The line then went on towards Durango, Colorado. The purpose of this extension was to tap into the mineral resources around the Silverton, Colorado area.  When the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad arrived in Chama, other railroad companies were formed to take advantage of the local forests. This created a flourishing logging economy for the town. There were lumber mills located to the west and south of Chama. These mills provided a steady stream of revenue for the railroad, lasting until abandonment in the late 1960s.  After World War II, there was an oil boom in Farmington, New Mexico. This boom provided a surge of revenue for the railroad. This revenue came from 60-car pipe trains heading west from Antonito. The Gramps Oil Fields in southern Colorado supplied oil for trains running from Chama to Antonito. The lumber mills also provided a steady stream of revenue, although this was less important than oil. This increase in revenue saved the line from abandonment.  All of these successes had drawbacks. The major issue with the line was Cumbres Pass itself. Cumbres Pass is 10,015 feet above sea level. The high elevation and various other factors led to many terrible snowstorms. This prompted the railroad to purchase "rotary snowplows". The two that were used on the Cumbres Pass line were Rotary OM and Rotary OY. Both rotaries still exist in Chama, New Mexico, but historically they were dispatched from Alamosa. Every five or six years, the winter season can bring as much as 500 inches of snow to Cumbres. These snowstorms were a huge financial burden for the railroad. The "Granddaddy of All Snowstorms"[6] hit in the winter of 1951–1952. This was the worst recorded winter on the line and one of the deciding factors when abandonment was considered in the 1960s.  In September 1968, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad filed for abandonment of its narrow-gauge lines. In April 1969, legislation was signed in New Mexico that authorized the state to purchase the track between Chama and Antonito. In 1970, Colorado passed similar legislation. The two states jointly owned the line and, by 1971, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad was formed.