Rail-fanning the Rio Grande Narrow Gauge Railroads 

From Tuesday July 18th to Friday July 21st 2023 I traveled to Colorado to ride behind and railfan the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. After doing riding the full routes of the lines I wanted to chase the respective daily steam trips and watch as these iron horses worked up the steep grades of the southern Rocky Mountains and the San Juan Mountains and I was not disappointed. The trackside shots of Cumbres and Toltec action follow 2-8-2 number 484 a K-36 built by the Baldwin Locomotive works in 1925. I followed 484 and its train on July 19th north out of Chama to the Los Pinos Water Tank. Heading west to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge railroad I was able to catch mikados 476 and 482 double-heading the Silverton steam train on Friday morning July 21st. Other D&S action I was able to catch include 476 pulling a southbound ballast train south out of Rockwood yard to Durango as well as 482 pulling the southbound Silverton train solo back to Durango. I was also able to catch K-36 number 493 pulling the Cascade Canyon train.