Chama Christmas Trains – Dec 6, 2008

Every year, the Cumbres & Toltec runs a set of Christmas Trains. This year, the two Chama runs were scheduled for Saturday, 6-Dec-2008, and the two Antonito runs would follow a week later on 13-Dec-2008. At least both Chama runs were reportedly sold out this year. There’s not much else to say – this trip report is just a handful of pictures from chasing the two Chama runs.

Crowds of parents and children wait at the Chama depot to board the first Christmas Train on the morning of Saturday, 6-Dec-2008.

Power for the day's trains would be K-36 487. It had already made a light trip up to Dalton and back to clear snowdrifts by the time we arrived around 1045h. — Power for the day’s trains would be K-36 487. It had already made a light trip up to Dalton and back to clear snowdrifts by the time we arrived around 1045h.

Not at all related to the Christmas Train, 483 and 492 have been brought up near the shops recently.

Caboose 0579 sits in the Chama yard snow.

The outbound train passes under the coaling tower. (This is actually the second train - I'll be intermixing a few shots of it, but most are of the first.) — The outbound train passes under the coaling tower. (This is actually the second train – I’ll be intermixing a few shots of it, but most are of the first.)

Shortly after 1100h, the first of the day's two sold out trains headed up the hill, seen here just past Jukes Tree. — Shortly after 1100h, the first of the day’s two sold out trains headed up the hill, seen here just past Jukes Tree.

Just a side-on shot coming past the first crossing.

After the first crossing, the train crosses the open flats north of town.

Coming up through the Narrows, below the highway.

Out of the north end of the Narrows, the train is just about to swing around the S-curve to climb towards Lobato.

Getting around the curve below Lobato was a challenge. Between the heavy train and slick rail, there was a great deal of slipping. Finally, after backing up and taking a second run, they made it.

High on the hillside above Lobato, only a short way before the end of passable track

Approaching the Dalton crossing, as seen from the highway below

A few hundred feet from the Dalton crossing

At Dalton, Santa Claus is waiting to board the train for the trip back to Chama

Just a shot of 487 and the Dalton crossing sign.

All aboard - Santa, the railroad's mascot Cinder Bear, and one of the other employees on the train - all wave to the crowd as the train starts backing towards Chama. — All aboard – Santa, the railroad’s mascot Cinder Bear, and one of the other employees on the train – all wave to the crowd as the train starts backing towards Chama.

On the other end of the railroad, C&TS 489 sits outside Antonito shops. Less than six months out of its most recent rebuild, 489 will handle the next weekend's Antonito Christmas Trains. — On the other end of the railroad, C&TS 489 sits outside Antonito shops. Less than six months out of its most recent rebuild, 489 will handle the next weekend’s Antonito Christmas Trains.

All photographs in this trip report were taken with a Canon EOS 40D using either a Canon 24-105mm F4 L IS/USM, Sigma 18-50mm, or a Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS/USM.

This work is copyright 2024 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.