Steamscape: Lava Tank. The early morning sun back-lights the Northern New Mexico desertscape, as D&RG Locomotive #425 charges west with her mixed train, bound for Big Horn, Sublette, Osier and points beyond.
The 425 shows no sign of stopping here today, but that's not because she doesn't need water. It's because in 2021, there's no permanent water supply here. Sadly, Lava Tank is currently the only tank on the present-day Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad which is not operational. That's mainly because this tank was supplied with water from the Los Pinos River, some 500 ft. below the tank location, requiring a pump-house and some serious pumping equipment. While the pump-house still exists, the actual machinery used to get the water up to the tank was removed nearly 50 years ago. There has been talk of restoring the water supply, as an operational tank here would be very beneficial to the smaller locomotives, which are without superheating, such as the 425 here. The newer and larger engines can make Sublette from Antonito and don't need to stop here. So what does 425 do today? Well, during special events involving smaller locomotives, the railroad pre-positions a tank car with water on the Lava Siding, along with pumps and hoses to facilitate watering. Right after the thirsty 425 passed my camera position here, she stopped about 100 yards down the track, where the tank car was waiting.
Landscape photography is difficult due to the challenge of combining good light and good scenery. Good railroad photography enters another level of complexity since it requires the first two while there is a train in view.
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.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)