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In northern New Mexico, the Cumbres & Toltec train rolls again

The headquarters of the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is in Chama, N.M., 106 miles north of Santa Fe.
The headquarters of the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is in Chama, N.M., 106 miles north of Santa Fe.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
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The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, once a key asset to miners in New Mexico and Colorado and now a seasonal tourist and rail-fan attraction, is rolling again for summer.

The narrow-gauge, steam-powered train, based in Chama, N.M., 106 miles north of Santa Fe, started running May 24 and will continue until Oct. 19, crossing a landscape full of mountain scenery. Elevation ranges from 7,863 feet to 10,015 feet.

The Cumbres & Toltec offers customers day trips, half-day trips and dinner-train excursions along the 64 miles of track connecting depots in Chama and Antonito, Colo. Prices run from $79 to $189 per adult.

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The line was built in 1880 as part of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, which connected Denver, Santa Fe and mineral-rich spots such as Silverton, Colo. Though much of the network has been dismantled, the Cumbres & Toltec’s cousin, the 45-mile-long Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, remains in service year-round in southwestern Colorado.

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