page_title: Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
section_title: Chama Yard
hierarchical_section_title: Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad / Route description / Chama to Osier / Chama Yard
caption_attribution_description: English: C&amp;TS K-36, Passing the Chama Water Tank.
context_page_description: The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, often abbreviated as the C&TSRR, is a 3 ft narrow-gauge heritage railroad running on 64 miles of track between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico, 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.
context_section_description: The Chama yard is located at milepost 344.12. Here the railroad stores most of their freight cars and both rotary snowplows, Rotary OY and Rotary OM. On the east side is part of the original roundhouse from the D&RGW. A fire burned most of the roundhouse; what remains is used as storage for parts. K-37 497 is stored here. On the far side of the old roundhouse section is the shops where the engines are serviced and prepared for the next day. The shops have two stalls and can have up to two engines inside simultaneously. On the west side of the yard is the original depot from the late 1800s. Here train tickets can be purchased. There is a gift shop with various items for sale. On the south end of the yard, over 100 freight cars are visible. The yard is open and can be toured by anyone. About 40 of the cars in the yard are operational.
  From Chama, the railroad proceeds northeast after crossing Rio Chama. About 1 mile (1,600 m) later, the railroad begins up the mountain on a grade averaging 4%. The first siding on the line is at Lobato (MP: 339.99). Here are remnants of a stock pen and a water tank made for a movie in the 1970s. The tank was used later in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The water tank was knocked over in 2006, succumbing to age and high winds. Lobato Trestle is located at Lobato. It the second-highest trestle on the line, built in 1883. Due to weight restrictions, only one locomotive at a time is allowed to cross. Hence all double-headers must separate and rejoin on the other side. The bridge was rebuilt in 2012 after a fire nearly destroyed it.
  From here to Cumbres, the railroad operates on the north side of Wolf Creek. There are several old stations along the line. The first is Dalton (MP: 335.5). There is nothing at Dalton besides the station sign. Next on the journey to the top at Cumbres, the train passes Cresco Siding and water tank (MP 335.5). Just before this, the track crosses the state line the first time. This water tank is used when operating smaller engines such as No. 315 and No. 168, and for rotary trains. The route then enters a small canyon past Hamilton's Point. Exiting the canyon, the track makes a turn to the northwest and up the Wolf Creek through Coxo. At Coxo, there is a short siding for maintenance equipment and a station sign/ At a narrow point of the valley, the track makes a horseshoe turn up to Windy Point. Windy Point is an outcrop of volcanic rock where the wind blows so hard, the smoke from the trains often will blow towards the front of the train instead of the rear. From there, the tracks have less than a quarter of a mile to Cumbres Pass, the highest point on the line
  At Cumbres (MP 330.60), elevation 10,015 ft (3,053 m), is the Car Inspector's House, Water Standpipe, remnants of the extensive snow shed, and the Section House, which replaced the original depot after it was demolished in the 1950s. Cumbres is the highest point on the railroad and the highest elevation of any narrow gauge railroad in North America. Upon reaching the pass, the engine must take on water as it has used about ¾ of its water to this point. After taking on water and a short brake test, the train departs to the east and begins the downhill section. At “Tanglefoot Curve” the track doubles back on itself to lose elevation gradually. Here, the trains going downhill will perform a boiler blowdown. This is where the engine releases steam from the boiler to clear sediments at the bottom of the boiler. From there the track turns north up the Los Piños Valley.
  The track continues a gentle descent on the average 1.45% grade to the north until it reaches Los Piños tank. This tank is always full and is used for small engines and rotary trains. The track takes a gentle loop off to the west and comes back to the east at the station of Los Piños (MP: 324.8). There is nothing here except a siding and the station sign. The track then turns back north towards Osier Colorado. Just before Osier at Milepost 320, the track crosses Cascade Trestle. This is the highest trestle on the entire line sitting at 137 ft (42m)
caption: C&TS#487 in the Chama Yard
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