Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
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| Locale |
Conejos County and Archuleta County in Colorado and Rio Arriba County in New Mexico |
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| Dates of operation | 1970–present |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Length | 64 miles |
| Headquarters | Chama, New Mexico |
| Website | |
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Denver & Rio Grande Railroad
San Juan Extension |
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| Nearest city | Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 36°54′N 106°35′W / 36.900°N 106.583°WCoordinates: 36°54′N 106°35′W / 36.900°N 106.583°W |
| Area | 1,430 acres (580 ha) |
| Built | 1880 |
| Architect |
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements |
| MPS | Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948 MPS |
| NRHP Reference # |
73000462 (original) 07000374 (increase) |
| CSRHP # | 5AA.664 / 5CN.65 |
| NMSRCP # | 136 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1973 |
| Boundary increase | April 24, 2007 |
| Designated NHL | October 16, 2012 |
| Designated NMSRCP | November 20, 1969 |
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The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&TS) is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge heritage railroad running between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado. It runs over 10,015 ft (3,053 m) Cumbres Pass and through Toltec Gorge, from which it takes its name. Trains operate from both endpoints and meet at the midpoint. Today, the railroad is the highest and longest narrow gauge steam railroad in the United States with a track length of 64 miles. The train traverses the border between Colorado and New Mexico, crossing back and forth between the two states 11 times. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has been jointly owned by the States of Colorado and New Mexico since 1970 when it was purchased from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway, saving it from the scrap yards. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad received the Designation of a National Historic Landmark in 2012 by the United States National Park Service.
The railroad line was constructed in 1880-1881 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad as part of their San Juan Extension stretching from Alamosa, Colorado to Durango, Colorado. The line was constructed with 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge track to match the D&RGW's other lines. The line primarily supported mining operations in the San Juan mountains, mainly around Durango and Silverton. The longest and highest portion of the railroad, known as the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, is 64 miles long and was constructed in 1880 in less than nine months; an engineering miracle even by today's standards, considering the work was all done by hand.
Today's Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad was built in 1882 as a branch line off this main. By the late 1950s mining had dwindled substantially and the line was on the verge of abandonment, but an oil boom near Farmington, New Mexico created a traffic surge that kept the line operating for another decade hauling oil and pipe. By the late 1960s the traffic was virtually gone and abandonment was applied for. The states of Colorado and New Mexico purchased the 64 miles of San Juan Extension between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico in 1970 and started operating the next year under the name of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
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Wikipedia