San Juan Express
Encyclopedia
The San Juan Express was a narrow gauge
train that ran on the 3ft Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad route from Durango, Colorado
via Chama, NM, Cumbres Pass
and Antonito, CO to Pueblo, Colorado
. The Express ran until the early 1950s and most of the narrow gauge trackage has since been abandoned. The only surviving narrow gauge track from the San Juan route is the 64 mile long Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad between Antonito and Chama, which calls its westbound train the Colorado Limited and its eastbound the New Mexico Express.
at an altitude of 3,046m above sea level. Nearby is the lunch house at Osier, CO where present-day Cumbres & Toltec trains stop for lunch.
, the D&RGW K-28, and the D&RGW K-37
, and occasionlly the D&RGW C-18. One K-27 and one K-37 are used on the Cumbres & Toltec, with C-18 D&RGW 315 periodically visiting both the Durango and Silverton and the Cumbres & Toltec.
only and belongs to the San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad
.
Durango, CO
Chama, NM
Cumbres Pass
Osier, CO
Sublette Station
Antonito, CO
Alamosa, CO
Union Depot (Pueblo, Colorado)
List of Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad lines
Narrow gauge railroads in the United States
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
train that ran on the 3ft Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad route from Durango, Colorado
Durango, Colorado
The City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
via Chama, NM, Cumbres Pass
Cumbres Pass
Cumbres Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The pass is traversed by State Highway 17 and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. The highway has a moderate 5.8% approach on the north side and a gentler, 4% approach on the south side...
and Antonito, CO to Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
. The Express ran until the early 1950s and most of the narrow gauge trackage has since been abandoned. The only surviving narrow gauge track from the San Juan route is the 64 mile long Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad between Antonito and Chama, which calls its westbound train the Colorado Limited and its eastbound the New Mexico Express.
Notable areas
The most notable area of the trip is Cumbres PassCumbres Pass
Cumbres Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The pass is traversed by State Highway 17 and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. The highway has a moderate 5.8% approach on the north side and a gentler, 4% approach on the south side...
at an altitude of 3,046m above sea level. Nearby is the lunch house at Osier, CO where present-day Cumbres & Toltec trains stop for lunch.
Frequently used engines
One of the most frequently used engines on this route was and still is the D&RGW K-36. Other locomotives used on this route included the D&RGW K-27D&RGW K-27
The D&RGW K-27 class are 3 foot narrow gauge, Mikado type, 2-8-2 steam railway locomotives built for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1903...
, the D&RGW K-28, and the D&RGW K-37
D&RGW K-37
Denver & Rio Grande Western K-37s are 2-8-2, Mikado type, narrow gauge steam locomotives. They were originally built by Baldwin as part of an order for thirty standard gauge 2-8-0, Consolidation type, locomotives, class 190, in 1902...
, and occasionlly the D&RGW C-18. One K-27 and one K-37 are used on the Cumbres & Toltec, with C-18 D&RGW 315 periodically visiting both the Durango and Silverton and the Cumbres & Toltec.
Sections used today
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad uses the portion from Antonio, CO to Chama, NM. The portion from Durango to Silverton (not part of the San Juan Express) is run by the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The line from Antonito to Alamosa, CO is now standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
only and belongs to the San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad
San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad
The San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Colorado.The SLRG began operations in 2003 using 154 miles of former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad tracks on three lines radiating from Alamosa, Colorado. The SLRG operates an eclectic variety of equipment from the...
.
See also:
The San Juan ExtensionDurango, CO
Chama, NM
Cumbres Pass
Cumbres Pass
Cumbres Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The pass is traversed by State Highway 17 and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. The highway has a moderate 5.8% approach on the north side and a gentler, 4% approach on the south side...
Osier, CO
Sublette Station
Antonito, CO
Alamosa, CO
Union Depot (Pueblo, Colorado)
Union Depot (Pueblo, Colorado)
Pueblo Union Depot is the historic railroad station in Pueblo, Colorado. It was built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style in 1889-1890 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.-History:...
List of Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad lines
Narrow gauge railroads in the United States
Narrow gauge railroads in the United States
Standard gauge was favored for railway construction in the United States, although a fairly large narrow gauge system developed in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Isolated narrow gauge lines were built in many areas to minimize construction costs for industrial transport or resort access, and...