One of the few times that it was just the sign. There’s usually a tourist or two standing next to it. :B
And welcome to Antonito, CO (pop. 647) where……..
While it’s a small, quiet town, there’s actually plenty to do in Antonito if you like old trains. The town is at one end of the nation’s highest and longest narrow-gauge railroads, the Cumbres and Toltec. We’ve taken the train ride in the past, and it’s worth the trip. This time we chose to drive the scenic route from Antonito to Chama, NM.
I think most of the pictures are self-explanatory, so I’ll keep the narrative to a minimum.
Are you done yet?!?! Can we go now?!?!
Well OK then, let’s hit the road……
We made it to Chama and found a place to spend the night. The girls insisted I unload them first.
Selina keeping an eye on our neighbor’s dog, and our neighbor’s dog keeping an eye on Selina.
This was a private park, as most of the forest service campgrounds had already closed for the season and there wasn’t a convenient BLM nearby. We prefer the FS and BLM campgrounds, but I was kinda glad we stayed here because I got to meet this guy.
I’ve always liked these, and he was very proud of it. He told me that the basic platform was originally intended for the USPS, but due to its Cadillac front-wheel drive and poor weight distribution, it failed the hill climbing tests. Rather than write off all the R&D they invested, they developed the only purpose-built motor home from a US automobile manufacturer.
He told me he drives it a lot, and had put over 20K miles on it this year alone. His engine had been upgraded to something over 500 CID, and the transaxle upgraded with a limited-slip differential. He said it performed much better on unpaved hill roads, but but still had its limits. The tires and wheels had been changed to 16” from the original 16.5’s. Having owned an old truck from that era myself, I know 16.5’s are really hard to find nowadays (if not impossible).
He didn’t mention the headlights, but I don’t think those are original either! :W
:):)
And welcome to Antonito, CO (pop. 647) where……..
While it’s a small, quiet town, there’s actually plenty to do in Antonito if you like old trains. The town is at one end of the nation’s highest and longest narrow-gauge railroads, the Cumbres and Toltec. We’ve taken the train ride in the past, and it’s worth the trip. This time we chose to drive the scenic route from Antonito to Chama, NM.
I think most of the pictures are self-explanatory, so I’ll keep the narrative to a minimum.
Are you done yet?!?! Can we go now?!?!
Well OK then, let’s hit the road……
We made it to Chama and found a place to spend the night. The girls insisted I unload them first.
Selina keeping an eye on our neighbor’s dog, and our neighbor’s dog keeping an eye on Selina.
This was a private park, as most of the forest service campgrounds had already closed for the season and there wasn’t a convenient BLM nearby. We prefer the FS and BLM campgrounds, but I was kinda glad we stayed here because I got to meet this guy.
I’ve always liked these, and he was very proud of it. He told me that the basic platform was originally intended for the USPS, but due to its Cadillac front-wheel drive and poor weight distribution, it failed the hill climbing tests. Rather than write off all the R&D they invested, they developed the only purpose-built motor home from a US automobile manufacturer.
He told me he drives it a lot, and had put over 20K miles on it this year alone. His engine had been upgraded to something over 500 CID, and the transaxle upgraded with a limited-slip differential. He said it performed much better on unpaved hill roads, but but still had its limits. The tires and wheels had been changed to 16” from the original 16.5’s. Having owned an old truck from that era myself, I know 16.5’s are really hard to find nowadays (if not impossible).
He didn’t mention the headlights, but I don’t think those are original either! :W
:):)
Lots of folks pass through that area without any clue what a spectacular adventure the train ride offers. We rode my Indian from our site in Pagosa Springs to Chama, about an hour, then took the motor coach up to Antonito for the train ride back to Chama.
Make your reservations as early as possible and I suggest opting for the middle priced ticket. The low end ticket is mostly a cattle car experience and the upper end is {IMHO} over priced. Know that it is a full day event but the vintage railroad experience combined with the views make for one phenomenal adventure.
Here is a shot from our adventure:
:B
Make your reservations as early as possible and I suggest opting for the middle priced ticket. The low end ticket is mostly a cattle car experience and the upper end is {IMHO} over priced. Know that it is a full day event but the vintage railroad experience combined with the views make for one phenomenal adventure.
Here is a shot from our adventure:
:B
