Cumbres and Toltec Freight With

Just before our recent three week USA trip, I heard that during our stay, C18 #315 would be hauling freight trains on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad as part of the ‘Narrow Gauge Rendezvous’ event, so I tailored our itinerary so that we could see this spectacle. Last time I was here, with John Hine, the line from Chama to Cumbres was silent, due to the Lobato Trestle fire. This time things were a little different!
I know that the main participants of this event paid a lot of money to attend, so I humbly apologise for ‘freeloading’, however in return, I hope that this movie might inspire others to visit (and thus help to support the loco and this magnificent line) as I was, by some beautiful slides that I saw at one of our Welsh Highland Railway Society meetings many years ago here in the UK.
The loco was built by Baldwin in 1885 for the Florence and Cripple Creek R/R, becoming Rio Grande property in 1917 and worked until 1949, initially in the Alamosa area, so it is entirely fitting to see it on the C&T. Donated to the City of Durango in 1968, it was ‘plinthed’ in a park for many years until it’s recent restoration to working order. It looks absolutely fabulous!
Whilst the K-36 locos currently in service on both the Durango and Cumbres lines are wonderful machines and undisputed masters of the job, it is a delight to see a smaller, older locomotive doing battle with the grades, and we were enthralled by #315 and it's volcanic antics. We filmed it on the evening of Wednesday 24th August taking six cars up to Cumbres (although it had to drop-off one car at Lobato due to slipping) then again on the following evening with another six cars, and finally on the Friday with the whole rake at Los Pinos and Tanglefoot Curve. Many thanks to David Bowyer for his company at Tanglefoot, for the DVDs he so kindly gave us, and for suggesting the use of the reflection in the lake.
This film is dedicated to all those fine folk who had a hand in the locos’ restoration. Thank you so much guys, for an unforgettable experience; for sure we'll be back for more! Filmed by Dave and Tom Waldren, cover photo by Matt Waldren.