Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

My wife and I recently enjoyed a ride aboard the Parlor Car from Antonito, CO to Chama, NM. The train was on time, and all staff members from the ticket counter to conductors to attendants were friendly and helpful. There was a slight mix-​up and a loud child ended up in the 21 and over Parlor Car on the second half of our journey; However, the manager in Chama was prompt in taking care of us when we filed our complaint. I highly recommend Cumbres & Toltec for those interested in trains, history, or simply a relaxing day in the mountains.

Howie K’s review really summed this ride up! You’ll want to check his review out for the kiddie ride.
We went on the full day ride with our 4 and 2 year old foster children. They loved it, mostly. Especially the boy. I, on the other hand, only managed to realize my newest fear of heights. Yup, drop offs off the side of cliffs so deep — you’ll finally believe in Jesus. At the very least — you’ll do a whole lot of talking to em’! I would eventually take advantage of their extra spicy Bloody Mary’s @ $ 8.00 a piece. Terrible, I know, but my partner stayed completely sober.
I’ll tell you. This is one bumpy, shaky ride! Now, try it with 3 Bloody Mary’s in ya! Nope. Not happening! We were, however, less than 10 feet from the adult section that you can pay A LOT extra for. But, that heavy, additional fee only garnered them side seats facing directly out of the train, some alcohol and I think, a free lunch? Trust me, the perk of no children in their cart did NOT pay off for them whatsoever. My foster kids made sure of that! Screams so loud at some points — I swear, only dolphins and rich people could hear! Not worth the extra money folks!
We did stop in some town, I forget, obviously, and they fed us lunch. It wasn’t bad. And, there was a long bus ride back to Chama. Over all, it wasn’t a bad experience. Well, if not for my therapy bills. Something you should maybe put on your bucket list anyway. Like climbing Mt. Everest or feeding at a D grade restaurant in LA. You’ll either love it or hate it.
Overall, my boy loved it, my daughter slept thru it, my partner tolerated it and, I, well, barely remember it. It was also pretty pricy! But, others, except for adult VIP’s in their cart, enjoyed it.

This is a review of the toddler tour only, the «Cinder Bear» choo-​choo hullabaloo. Northern New Mexico, this central area in particular, is simply my favorite place in the state. I love Los Ojos and Tierra Amarilla, the breathtaking natural beauty of Abiquiu as the mesas green into higher elevations, and I’ve always wanted to see it from a rail car. The Cumbres & Toltec is simply an absolute must-​ride, especially during a summer season that has been doused in so much delightful rain. All of this green stuff is making me very, very happy.
So here’s the deal with this railroad. It was built in the mid-1800’s for the mining industry in these parts, and the ebb and flow of its operation continued until WW2, when it essentially halted running entirely. Thanks to community support and Federal recognition that this heritage is indeed meaningful and integral to the people who live here, it continues to run the entire stretch of track, which takes a full day to complete (I doubt the train ever gets moving faster than 10mph). For train enthusiasts it’s a dream come true. For the layperson (me) 90 minutes is more than enough time to appreciate the grandeur, so the Cinder Bear kiddo tour was perfect.
The tour begins in Chama with a literal bear hug from Cinder him/​herself (who knows?). You board at 10am and Cinder hops in an SUV, not kidding. About 30 minutes down the road Cinder waves hello from the side of the road, but you’ll be too distracted by the scenery to care, what with the mountain peaks, aspen, fern and bountiful mule deer. A little further up the train stops and Cinder jumps on, and another round of bear hugs ensues. Everyone gets off at Cumbres, elevation 10,000+. A shuttle brings you back to Chama and the kids are greeted with a goodbye tent full of toys, activities and yes, more Cinder hugs.
So anyway, if you don’t have a kiddo but you also don’t want to spend a day riding this line, reserve seats for the short tour, just lie about your age, it’s not like you’ve never done that before. And honestly, give Cinder a hug, will ya?

We chose route #5 which was the train from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO and then return to Chama via bus. It was a bit of a long day but we had a lot of fun. The scenery was absolutely amazing. If you do choose this route, make sure you get seats on the right side of the car. That way you can see the canyon instead of the hillside. Lunch is Osier was good. You had your choice of Meatloaf or Turkey with a bunch of sides and almost every dessert you can think of. We rode the train with a 10, 9 and 1 year old. It was a little difficult keeping them entertained for the 6 hours. The excitement of the train wore off for them within a couple hours. I did see they had a child’s ride but that wasn’t on the day we were able to go. It’s only a couple hours long. I think it is worth it for the price. at $ 95 an adult and kids being free, you get the train ride, the ride back plus lunch.

My 8 year old son and I loved this. The scenery is beautiful, the engines and cars and buildings are really cool. We booked a seat inside the coach but we spent most of our time in the open car– the docents talk about the history of the railroad and the region as well as the geology– eg the volcanoes that were active in the area and the related rock formations. Also the food is surprisingly good. We had booked the shorter trip, Chama to Olser and back but decided to go on the Antonito and it was well worth the extra time. The Osler to Antonito stretch has, I thought, the best scenery plus 2 tunnels but the scenery from Chama to Osler was great too.

We took the Antonito to Chama route and it was beautiful. We have never been to this area and it helped us really get a great view of the Rockie Mountains. We weren’t sure how the seating was going to work, but we did have assigned seats and we’re able to get up and move around once head count had been conducted. They had restrooms, snack area, and an open train car to allow you to really take in the views. They also provided lunch we were given a choice between: Meat Loaf, Turkey breast, and Hot dogs for the kiddos. They took our lunch order at the beginning of our trip and once we arrived it was set up cafeteria style and everything tasted great (soup, salad & dessert was also included). I was very impressed with this experience.

I took the Chama to Antonito route Memorial Day and it exceeded my expectations. I understood it would be scenic but the variety throughout more than I expected. I loved it! The volunteer tour guide (Bob) was fantastic — very knowledgeable. Train has bathrooms as well as a small store with snacks, drinks, rain gear and motion sickness meds (which you might need at certain points of the ride!)
Lunch was provided midway through and exceeded my expectations. I had the soup and salad bar — great variety and all you can eat. Lunch, drinks and dessert included in the price of the ticket.
Note: bring sunscreen and layers — late May and it was snowing a little at the highest peaks.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone in the area — great for train enthusiasts of all ages or just those looking to see some of the beauty of this area.

We had a wonderful experience today! We rode the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad from Chama to Antonio. Our ride was made even better by our tour guide Rich! He was friendly and we learned a lot of local history. This is more then just a train ride! We both loved it and will definitely take this ride again!

This is a wonderful train ride. Varied landscapes, flora, fauna, and wildlife along the route keep riders interested. The lunch is great. The docents are knowledgable and entertaining. We enjoyed this ride more than the other 2 local offerings.

Been wanting to ride this for years and years. It was a beautiful day as we took off from Antonito so made our way back to the open car and actually rode the entire 64 miles back there standing up. A volunteer talked over a speaker pointing out things about the trip, train, building of, etc the whole way. He was very knowledgeable. We tipped him for his effort and he was very grateful. Because of the diversity in geology that changes etc we think this ride is actually better than Durango-​Silverton. The lunch at ½ way was very organized and better tasting than I expected. Also it was all you can eat too ! Be prepared to breathe some cinders and smoke because that’s what powers your excursion, it’s usually brief because of the breeze. Wear layered clothing because of weather changes. We thought all and all we would love to come back for a Fall color train. Our only complaint was our Bus driver was a grouch but was a safe driver getting us back to Antonito.

I’m biased. As a die-​hard railfan, I loved everything about the fifteen MPH six hour excursion on a train pulled by a genuine coal fired steam locomotive. Definitely an item to mark off my bucket list.

An absolute must stop if you love trains. It is pricy to ride the train, but just to sit there and watch these old steam locomotives go is a sight to behold. This particular station has coal and coal dust all around, we walked into the back area and there were deer sleeping next to the old trains. Get there in the afternoon to see the trains arrive. It is worth the wait…

The fall scenery was absolutely spectacular along the train route. I chose to visit on the tail end of the season and was treated to a special event in that the excusion was being pulled by a double header. Permit yourself some time to photograph the yard and equipment. As for the lunch meal, I opted out for the salad/​soup bar because the line for the hot meal was incredibly long. The day here was definitely one to remember. As an added incentive the railroad and engine #463, 2−8−2, are on the National Register of Historic Places; C&TSR is a Heritage Railroad.

Can’t say enough, should be on everybody’s bucket list of life. Went during the Fall color change, saw coyotes, deer and had a great lunch in Osier.
Nothing like the chugging of an old steam locomotive!!!
When I was admiring one of the old steam locomotives, the engineer told me to come up close, we are a «hands on» experience here. Filled up my camera totally with pictures.

This is one of the best experiences you can take your family on. If you are planning a trip to this area it is a MUST! You WON’T be dissapointed. The scenery and history of this train will leave you wanting more! We also enjoyed the middle stop over where they feed you. It’s some of the BEST food you can get… and the atmosphere will take you back to the olden years of the past! Long Ride… but Very Worth it. Take a Day out with the family and turn off your cell phones and enjoy the ride!

This is one of two remnants of the old Denver & Rio Grande network of three-​foot gauge railroads which once extended from Denver to Salt Lake City and Santa Fe in a vast network mostly in scenic portions of the Colorado mountains. The other remnant is the Durango & Silverton — also recommended. The history is fascinating.
Riding from Chama allows the experience of riding behind steam up a four percent grade to Cumbres Pass (over 10,000 feet). Riders may also board at the other end at Antonito, Colorado.
The engines are the authentic, coal fired locomotives always used on the old D&RG, and the scenery is remote and grand.

We have wanted to take this train trip for years. It is reputed to be one of the most scenic train trips in the U.S.
So after months of planning hubby and I were able to take a ride on the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad in early October.
It is totally worth the wait and all the advanced planning.
The train runs from Chama, NM (northernmost NM) to Antonito, Colorado. There are many configurations to one’s trip. We rode the train up to Antonito and took the shuttle bus back. You can also take the bus to Antonito and then take the train back. Or you can ride the train halfway to Oser and return to Chama. All train routes stop in Oser for lunch, which is included in the ticket price.
Please see my many photos.
October is a popular time since the fall foliage is at its peak. Being a native Californian I rarely have gotten to see trees change colors.
The scenery is MAGNIFICENTLY beautiful – trees in various shades or reds and golds. Wow! — there really is a God! It was a perfect day —-cool, clear and crisp. Continuous views of spectacular forests, mountains, valleys – no trace of people. We did see some pronghorn antelopes,
rabbits and a few elk.
I am a real train nut or rail fan. I love any type of train, any size train, any length of ride. I have CD’s of train sounds to lull me to sleep.
It was like Heaven on Earth for me to have ridden this train for a six hour journey of hearing clickety-​clack, clickety-​clack, choo-​choo, chug-​chug,
toot toot; breathing in fresh air and steam; and viewing some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth.
I’ll cherish the memory of this train ride forever.

Sometimes marketing material is just a little too good to be true. I always take what someone who is being paid to write about a business or product with a grain of salt. .. and even then. .. .
I always want to see for myself (yes, I was born in the“show me” state) or try the product, or eat in the restaurant, before I pass any judgements. I am skeptical. This was no exception.
The first trip I took was on one of their Moonlight Dinner Rides. You leave the station and chug up into the mountains in the late afternoon.
Willdflowers, cool mountain breezes, God’s sunshine, the smell of pine. Ah, this must be what heaven is like. High in the Rockies, you stop and have a wonderful dinner while they turn the train around and then, then. .. you ride back in the crystal clear moonlight. Talk about romantic! OMG!
When I read their web marketing materials all I could think is. .. they «hit the nail on the head!» This one really tells it like it is. See for yourself — the following quote is directly off their website.
«Hidden away in a little-​known corner of the southern Rocky Mountains is a precious historic artifact of the American West that time forgot.
«Built in 1880 and little changed since, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is the finest and most spectacular example of steam era mountain railroading in North America. Its equipment, structures and vast landscape exist today as if frozen in the first half of the 20^th century.»
Yep, it is all true!
I wouldn’t lead you astray. May to October. This moonlight adventure is worth taking. If you have the kids, do it on one of the day trips.
Save the moonlight for that special someone.
Anyone want to go with me?