Chama New Mexico to Antonito, Colorado - June 5 & 6, 1999
MOW / The Narrow Gauge Gang, owners and operators of 36" narrow gauge motorcars, ran again in narrow gauge land on the historic C & TS, Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Narrow Gauge Railroad, from Chama, New Mexico to Antonito, Colorado, June 5 & 6, 1999 for a total 128 miles round trip.
There were a total of six motorcars attending this narrow gauge event. Set on and safety inspections were on Friday afternoon June 4th. We departed at 7:20 am, June 5th, Saturday, ahead of the eastbound steam train after a safety meeting
Our first challenge was the 14 miles of 4 percent ruling grade, with some places even steeper, between Charma, NM and 10,015 foot Cumbres Summit. The exhilaration of climbing through green mountainous terrain and marvelous vistas and views with quaking aspens lining the sides of the tracks left us almost breathless. Of course the elevation climb from 7,863 feet at Chama to 10,015 feet at Cumbres Summit could have had something to do with it. It was quite cold and sunny on this brisk morning and with me on my open car with not even a windshield. A welcome rest and photo opportunity was needed by all, and we all warmed up standing along side the Cumbres Section house which was warmed by the morning sun.
Running from Cumbres Summit East the grade is a 1.42 percent descending ruling grade and as the steepest part was over we could relax more and take in the wonderful scenery and sites. There are many old phone booths, one snow shed, two tunnels and many trestles and bridges to cross over. The track is located along the New Mexico and Colorado borders and crosses back and forth eleven times from state to state. A long break was taken at Osier Station about half way between Chama and Antonito for hot Chocolate and coffee and a piece of pie in the C&TS lunch room. About the time we were warmed up and ready to depart it had clouded over and was spitting SNOW, so we headed over to Toltec Siding to meet the westbound steam train and have lunch.
The weather was still very cold and windy. Here we only had about a 30 minute wait and by the time the train arrived the sky cleared up some but was still very windy.
Arriving at the distant terminal we put our motorcars to bed at the Antonito, Colorado (elevation 7,888 feet) roundhouse tracks, where the C&TS night watchman would keep an eye on them for us. After checking out the local gift shops and cleaning up we had a great group meet and camaraderie with all the other participants. We laid over at the Narrow Gauge Motel just a short walk from the C&TS yards.
Sunday morning we departed Antonito at 8:15 A.M. for the westbound trip back up the 1.42 percent grade towards Cumbres Summit. We took time for many photo run bys on this bright Colorado sunny day running ahead of the regular scheduled steam train. We stopped at the Big Horn WYE, the Three Ply, Calico Cut and rock spires, Rock Tunnel at Toltec Gorge and Garfield's monument and then over to the Osier lunch room, accessible by train, motorcar or four wheel drive only, where we let the westbound pass us and we also met the Eastbound there. We had a nice leisure lunch, inspecting the trains and facilities. After the westbound departed we followed and had many photo opportunities of the train and scenery.
Again we took the needed break at 10,015 foot Cumbres Summit, we all backed into the WYE snowshed and took pictures, before our heavy 4 percent 14 mile descent with full compression and very heavy braking on my Fairmont pop car to control the speed to reach Chama our destination and setoff, and most of us went for pizza before we went our separate ways.
No major breakdowns and pretty much trouble free, a good time was had and enjoyed by all, and the weather really warmed up on this last afternoon.
If you have a 36" gauge motorcar, MOW membership and license, NARCOA membership, insurance and certification, a 1999 Narrow Gauge Tour is planned August 27th in Durango on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to coincide with the D&SNGRR's Railfest, and then over to Chama, New Mexico to enjoy the C&TS again. We hope there will be others who can join us. Please contact me for more information.
If you can't make the motorcar excursions plan on riding the Historic Narrow Gauge trains in narrow gauge lane on your next vacation.
Narrowly, Smitty, Sedona, Arizona The Narrow Gauge Gang
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