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Retired Canadian will be renting a car in Denver and motoring to Southern parts of Colorado in early June. There are three steam trains in the Rockies: Durango & Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad www.durangotrain.com, Rio Grande Scenic Railroad www.riograndescenicrailroad.com, and Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad www.cumbrestoltec.com. I will have time to take trips on two of the three listed. Any advice you can provide based on personal experience would be appreciated in making these choices. Will also be taking in the Mesa Verde National Park to tour the cliff dwellings.
train lady Member # 3920
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I have never been on the trains listed due to altitude but I have been to Mesa Verde. Don't miss it!! It is a totally fantastic experience from my point 0f view. One thing to take if you plan to go down into any of the ruins is a sturdy pair of shoes. I'd go back in a heart beat.
ehbowen Member # 4317
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I can only personally vouch for the Durango & Silverton; I've ridden it twice (2003 and 2007). It is a wonderful trip and I would rate it as not-to-be-missed. In my opinion, the charge to upgrade to one of their premium class cars is worth it. I particularly enjoyed the Alamosa parlor car with its end-of-train viewing platform. You do get a better view if you ride in one of the open-air cars, but be advised that mountain weather is very changeable and a light jacket is advisable even in June.
While I have not ridden the Cumbres & Toltec, I have had the opportunity to poke through their Chama yard. I would some day like to go back and take that trip as well.
If you do take the Silverton you will be close to Mesa Verde; as train lady said, it is well worth a visit. If you like historic hotels I suggest the Strater Hotel (two blocks from the train station); while it can be on the pricey side it definitely has authentic Western character. Even if you stay elsewhere, drop in for a drink at the Diamond Belle Saloon.
RussM Member # 3627
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In my opinion, the Cumbres & Toltec is the greatest tourist train ride in the US. The Durango & Silverton is nice, but the C & T is spectacular. If you can give it a full day, I would recommend taking the train from Chama to Antonito, and return by motorcoach, or take the motorcoach to Chama from Antonito, and return by train. Lunch is included.
I haven't done the Rio Grande, but did do the Royal Gorge Route, also out of Alamosa. If you reserve it in advance, you can ride in the cab of the F7, which is an interesting experience.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Dan -- my wife and I rode the Silverton 2 summers ago, and enjoyed it very much!!! Don't miss it!! The Cumbres & Toltec is also very nice, although I have never been on it (but Mr. "notelvis" Pressley at this Forum will encourage you to ride the C&T also -- I know he has ridden it several times)
Enjoy it!!!!
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by RRRICH: Dan -- my wife and I rode the Silverton 2 summers ago, and enjoyed it very much!!! Don't miss it!! The Cumbres & Toltec is also very nice, although I have never been on it (but Mr. "notelvis" Pressley at this Forum will encourage you to ride the C&T also -- I know he has ridden it several times)
Enjoy it!!!!
Rich is correct -
I have ridden the Cumbres & Toltec three times now (and have just started working on my wife for a family vacation to Colorado so that I can go back in July) and would have to say that the best three days of my entire railfan life have been the three days I've spent riding the Cumbres & Toltec.
I recommend that you take the trip which has you on the train from Chama to Antonito. It's about a 4% grade up the mountain for the first 15 miles out of Chama and if you like to hear steam locomotives working hard, that's the ride you'll want.
Durango and Silverton is a fantastic ride too. I've done that one twice and would certainly recommend it to anyone for that one gorge where the train hangs up above the river alone. I'd advise you to consider one of the parlor car accomodations on this train though.....it's an awfully long day if you're riding the train roundtrip and you'll want a soft seat and a little pampering on the way back.
I'll add that the reason I prefer C&TS is because that trip has a greater variety of scenery and the trains are generally less crowded than at Durango.....it's more rustic and more a feeling of "this is the way it was".
Last summer I rode the relatively new Rio Grande Scenic out of Alamosa and I would readily take that trip again. The La Veta Pass is big-time mountain railroading on a route that has always been overlooked because it isn't one of the through lines from east to west.
I liked the ride and would not hesitate to do it again. For your purposes, these guys are still in the formative stages and their rolling-stock seems straight off a commuter train somewhere. They have an interesting lounge car with back porch and are adding a dome car I understand. It could be interesting but they are not as adept at catering to the tourist railfan as the two narrow guages are.
Having said that, if I were going back and had time for only two, I would do the C&TS and the Rio Grande Scenic. Durango is great, don't get me wrong, but the things I like that Durango does are done just a little better at C&TS....to my tastes. I'd pick the Rio Grande Scenic because it too is interesting AND because Alamosa is a much easier, much less expensive town as compared to Durango.
I hope that I've helped but I'm afraid that I've said more than I should have.
Dan Adams Member # 1177
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Thank you very much--train lady, ehbowen, russm, rrrich and notelvis. Your interest and gracious input for my planning is most appreciated. All of you know to expect the unexpected when dealing with rail travel. I'll post a report when I return.
train lady Member # 3920
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Mr. Adams in thinking over our great trip which included Mesa Verde several things occurred to me which may be of interest to you. We were there in Sept and it was very hot.The altitude is 8000 ft. and you do a lot of climbing.There is so much to see you should plan on at least a full day If you haven't already found the NPS web site it is most informative, www.nps.gov/meve/ Enjoy!!!
palmland Member # 4344
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I'll second Notelvis' recommendations. I think he has it exactly right. Based on our trips this summer, the only thing I would add is to go for the parlor car seats on the Rio Grande Scenic.
It is well worth the extra fare. While it is a converted commuter car, they have done a nice job with authenitic parlor car seats in the rear (1-1 seating) and a great open platform area for the parlor car passengers to enjoy the view, smell the smoke, and enjoy your complimentary refreshments. The train turns at the town of LaVeta. Go directly to the LaVeta Inn and ask for a table in the courtyard. Great spot for a quiet lunch.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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I presume there are no hostelries at either Chama or Antonito so it is not possible to ride one way on the train, stay overnight, and return the next day on the train?
Also, how does one get to either Chama or Antonito from the outside world?
palmland Member # 4344
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Henry, there are quite a few motels in the Chama area. Check trip advisor -Branding Iron is probably the best. There is also a hotel right in town near the depot - very basic but fun with guys lined up on the balcony having 'cocktails'. Lots of local color.
Antonito doesn't have much (one bare bones railfan type place I believe). Better to stay in Alamosa (we liked the Inn of the Rio Grande) and take the Rio Grande Scenic connecting train (a hi-rail van last summer) to/from the C&T train at Antonito to Chama.
We didn't try a return by train but took the C&TS from Chama to Antonito, their charter bus return and then made the easy, scenic drive to Alamosa in the late afternoon. Rode the Rio Grande Scenic the next day.
You can fly into Durango to start at Chama, or into Alamosa for trains from there. But, I'm sure it would be cheaper to fly/train into Denver and drive into Alamosa from there (about 4 hours).
notelvis Member # 3071
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I stayed last summer at the Comfort Inn in Alamosa. It was an easy 30 minute drive to the C&TS at Antonito where I took the bus (chartered to the railroad for their passengers) to Chama and rode the train back to Antonito.
From the outside world, there are small (but expensive to fly in or out of) airports in both Alamosa and Durango. Going further afield, there are larger airports in Colorado Springs and Albuquerque. Beyond that there is Denver.
I experimented last summer and found the best combination rate (air fare and rental car) through Colorado Springs. It was not a bad drive (maybe 3 hours or so) to Alamosa from there.
If you like buses, TNM&O, a Greyhound subsidiary has a single frequency (one each way) bus from Grand Junction, CO to Albuquerque, NM that stops in Durango. They also have an Albuquerque to Colorado Springs route that stops in Alamosa. Neither of these buses makes a same day connection with Amtrak on either end. The Alamosa bus does pass through Antonito (right by the C&TS depot) but does not stop to take on passengers there.
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: I presume there are no hostelries at either Chama or Antonito so it is not possible to ride one way on the train, stay overnight, and return the next day on the train?
Also, how does one get to either Chama or Antonito from the outside world?
Henry, Poke around on the C&TS website for lodging information. There is one old Inn with a few rooms right across the street from the yard in Chama. There is also a motor hotel/campground kind of place (The Narrow Guage Inn I think) by the station in Antonito. It is possible to do the train all the way one day, stay over, and return the next.......but I'd let the railroad ticketing folks help you with the arrangements.
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