Hammerin' uphill at Hamilton's Point. D&RGW Locomotive #484 leads a 2-engine, 17-car, Cumbres Turn around the contours of the west side of Wolf Creek Canyon, just past the rocky outcropping known as Hamilton's Point. This location is believed to have been named for L.C.Hamilton, a D&RG Division Superintendent back in the late 1880s, and is approximately three and a half miles and 800 vertical feet from Cumbres Summit. Folks up on the approaches to Cumbres Pass can hear the train coming now. From now until the train crosses Highway 17 at Coxo, it will be running in a virtual tree tunnel of pines and aspens, clawing up a steady 4% grade.
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.
