By the late 1950s the final chapter had been written for mainline steam in North America, with only a few exceptions, lines of dead steam locomotives awaited the scrapper's torch across the country. However nestled in the mountains of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico the beat of the iron horse still labored on in freight service for the Denver & Rio Grande Western. Today the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad continues the traditions of the Rio Grande on the formers crossing of Cumbres Pass between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO and just as it was then, steam is still king. Recalling scenes that would other wise be lost to history, Rio Grande K-36 489 walks across the impressive Cascade Trestle with sister K-36 484 working as the cut in swing helper at right. The pair of veteran Baldwins were built in 1925 and thanks to the C&TSRR, and on this day 'Chama Steam', the two continue to pull visitors back in time, to an era all but lost to the pages of history.
