Cumbres & Toltec Narrow Gauge Rendezvous Event - Photo Album

[Kevin Madore]

I posted the following on the Narrow Gauge Forum tonight, but thought there may be some folks over here who appreciate standard (meaning 3 ft.) gauge railroading on the old Rio Grande.  If so, enjoy....

Folks,

Last weekend, I attended the 2016 Narrow Gauge Rendezvous at the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The event ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday and featured a freight train headed by D&RGW Consolidation #315, as well as two of the Rio Grande Southern's famous Motors, popularly known as Galloping Geese. The weekend featured many events, lots of interesting equipment, excellent food and some great opportunities to socialize with fellow narrow gauge fans. If my experience was any measure, a great weekend was had by all. By my count, I shot 2,087 frames with my two Digital SLRs. In that lot were a ton of keepers. I've spent the last few days sorting through the take and running a sampling of them through Lightroom. The result is nice little album that shows some of the highlights of the event.

If you're one of the folks who's been waiting for the photos, you need only click on the link below to see what it all looked like. Once the album appears, click on the first thumbnail and the full page for that image will appear, along with the caption. For an even better experience, you can click in the upper right-hand corner and go full-screen. Arrows on the right and left sides of the images will allow you to page back and forth. If you notice any inaccurate information in captions, please PM me here on the forum and I'll correct as needed.

And now....to the photos:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/112261457@N06/sets/72157672227373920/with/29355314062/

/Kevin Madore

[Bernie Perch]

Kevin,

Who thought that such scenes would be available in 2016?  Your stuff just goes off the charts and your willingness to share with us who don't get to these events is just mind boggling.  Keep it up.

Bernie

[Ira Schreiber]

Kevin, they are wonderful.
Ira Schreiber
Colorado and Maine.

Yes, I refer to 3' as standard and 4'8 1/2 as broad gauge.
True narrow gauge is 2'.

[Greg Klein]

Great Shots Kevin!  I was out there just over a year ago. Brings back good memories!

[john d Stone]

Fantastic photos Kevin! Considerably different environs than the Maine two foot world. I guess they needed that extra foot for that big country out there! The 315 is beautiful and 463 is, well, a Mudhen! Love 'em both!

Thanks!

[John Kokas]

Kevin or Ira,

Can either one of you provide some info on the status of D&RGW 168 and 223?  Can't find any updates on websites?  Glad to see C&TS is putting a lot of effort into getting their roadbed/track upgraded.  Last time I was there, (18 years ago), it was so bad that we were at walking speed and still it was like riding a bucking bronco.

[Ira Schreiber]

168 is in the tear down and inspection stage.

[Philip Marshall]

Probably the best public source of information on the Rio Grande 223 restoration project is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DRGWenginenumber223/

[Kevin Madore]

168 is in the tear down and inspection stage.

That's a pretty good way to describe it.   I first saw the 168 last fall in Antonito, which is where it will be based whenever it becomes operational.   At the time, very little had been done with it since it was moved to the C&TS.   I saw it again in March of this year, when I was back in Antonito for the Friends Flanger Trip.   Just a few days before, it had apparently been taken outside the engine house for a quick photo shoot.   I would have hoped they'd leave it out for us to photograph, given how much we'd all spent on the charter, that would have been a nice bonus, but that was not to be.   A few days later, they started disassembling it, in an effort to develop an accurate scope of work for the restoration.   Even when that's done, they still need to raise the funds to make it all happen.   

Realistically, I think it will be a period of years before it runs....unless someone like Bill Gates or Paul Allen suddenly decides to become a railfan.

/Kevin Madore

[Thor Windbergs]

Kevin,
Thanks for sharing your awesome pictures of WW&F and CT&S on Flickr. Really gives me homesickness for my Colorado Heimat. I hope you don't mind I down loaded some of the pictures for wall paper on my computer and some of my test stand computers here in the Gasoline Fuel Injection development here at Bosch in Stuttgart, Germany.

Please keep sharing and I hope our paths cross someday so I can shake your hand.

cheers
Thor

[Pete "Cosmo" Barrington]

" I down loaded some of the pictures for wall paper on my computer and some of my test stand computers here in the Gasoline Fuel Injection development here at Bosch in Stuttgart, Germany. "

Ja! Das ist WUNDERBAR!