Stepping out on the High Line. Baldwin K-37 Locomotive #493 emerges from the rock cut at Milepost 469.4, beginning her trek across the famous High Line Horseshoe Curve, high above the Animas River, just outside Rockwood, Colorado. This image shows pretty clearly just how tight some of the rock cuts are on this line, and why large freight locomotives like the K-37 class never operated here until the Bradshaw era. To accommodate the larger power, some locations did require some excavation, and some of the bridges on the line required reinforcement. The 493, seen here, was restored to operation in 2020 and was only the second K-37 ever to operate north of Rockwood on this line.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are all that remains of the legendary Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge system. Here you'll find some of my favorites from these two beautiful railways.
