Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
October 8-15, 2026
Chama
Railroad-themed metal gate in Chama.
After checking into our Air B & B, and meeting up with our fellow travellers, we walked down to the station to watch the trains rolling in and out. The main attraction was the Galloping Goose, one of a fleet of seven gasoline-powered railcars built to provide more economical freight and passenger service on the money-losing Rio Grande Southern Railroad. Goose #5 is a 1928 Pierce-Arrow limousine body welded to a Wayne Corporation bus body. Normally operating out of Dolores, Colorado, the Galloping Goose is trucked to Chama for special events and uses the same track as the Cumbres & Toltec.
Morning coffee and a cozy fire at the wonderful Rio Chama Espresso Kitchen and Wine Bar.
Tom, Diane, Debra and Dennis.
Reflections in the reproduction gas lanterns.
We were worried about the weather, since in the days before our trip, the forecast had called for heavy rain and flooding.
Fortunately, by the day of our trip, the probability of precipitation had dropped to 50%, and the dense cloud cover only made the golden aspens even more luminous.
It only rained hard while we were having lunch in Osier, and on the bus ride back to Chama. Here we are rushing to board the parlor car before the big storm moved in.
A momentary clearing ...
... and then the clouds opened up.
Tom and Diane reflected in a window with a view of a passing train.
Dramatic clouds and a glowing forest as we approach Toltec Gorge.
Perched on the edge of Toltec Gorge is a monument to President James A. Garfield, who was assassinated in September 1881 while the railroad was under construction. The monument stands at this specific spot because the train stopped here upon learning of the President's death, and workers held a memorial service and temporary burial on September 26, 1881, coinciding with his funeral in Cleveland. The shrine bears the inscription: "In memoriam James Abram Garfield President of the United States died September 19, 1881. Mourned by all the people."
I did my best to capture a photo or two of Toltec Gorge, the most dramatic feature on the Cumbres & Toltec rail line. The gorge is only 800 feet deep, but the canyon walls are extremely steep, rugged and close together.
Sun lighting up the aspens — including a few red ones — on the far side of Toltec Gorge.
A short stop at Sublette, a section station and construction camp established in 1880.
A final burst of dazzling color before we drop down to the sagebrush plains near Antonito.
On the last leg of our trip, a rainbow lit up the sky in honor of National Coming Out Day.
I promised I wouldn't make another Cumbres & Toltec video, but I couldn't resist. This train is so special, and who knows how long we can keep these century-old engines running?
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