Steamscape: Perry's Pond. There are no pretty reflections, just shadows this day, as the Cumbres & Toltec Rotary Outfit claws its way through the last quarter mile toward the Highway 17 Crossing at Coxo, Colorado. During the summer tourist season, this very spot is a popular photo location for rail photographers, looking for an afternoon reflection shot of Train 215 as it descends from Cumbres Pass toward Chama passing the small pond beside the tracks that has been informally named for photographer Otto Perry. Today, the whole area, including the pond in the foreground, is covered with 2-4 feet of snow, depending on where you look. The depth on the track seen here is at the low end of that range. As the train approaches the crossing ahead, it will face drifts of double that depth.
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.
