GREG SCHOLL 94 minutes
Climb into the engine cab of K-36 number 489 as we ride with the crew for 26 miles from Antonito, Colorado to Sublette, New Mexico in September 2014. You'll see inside the cab and the gauges before we leave town, then watch the engineer get the train started on our journey. There is plenty of action as the fireman hand-shovels the coal into the firebox as needed, and you see that the fuel is spread around to various sides of the firebox for better heating. Most of the view is looking ahead from the fireman's seat, plus of course views of the engineer and fireman at work. We get up to a good speed on the straight section leaving Antonito, and then begin the climb steadily westward on this 64 mile Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. This engine is working the same tracks it was designed to run on when it was built by Baldwin in 1925 for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. We will see some of the sights along the way such as Lava tank, switches for the loop, Whiplash Curve, and get a better feel for all the climbing and curves along the route. We even have to make an unscheduled stop along the way that will be of interest to enthusiasts as well. Arriving in Sublette we see the train come to a stop and then watch the fireman turn the water spout and start filling the tender with water. From this point west we rode in the coaches, and that is in another video. You really get a nice feel for what it is like to ride inside as a crewmember of a real steam engine doing its job on a daily basis. The sound is nice and the view is different from the normal ride. Don't miss this exciting and unusual video.
