Not being a railfan per se, I stayed out of the thread/argument over the most beautiful locos. Had no dog in that fight. But here's one I have opinions on: What are the five greatest narrow gauge locations that best capture the flavor, ambience, and culture of n.g. railroads in the U.S.? Here's my list:
5) CHAMA (yesterday, today, and tommorrow). It's all been said before.
4) TELLURIDE (circa 1935). Nothing can prepare you for the jolt that spectacular box canyon gives you as you approach Telluride for the first time. Not even the upscale schlock of ski development and condos can soften the effect. But my, what it must have been like to see it as a real mining town riding in on the branch of the RGS and hearing the conductor announce "To-hell-you-ride".
3) KENOSHA PASS (circa 1925) on the DSP&P. As passes go, this one doesn't have much relief. But when you crest it even today on hwy 285 (built on the old road bed) you see what passengers saw - the sweep of the huge high valley called the South Park laid out before you. The three foot rails must have barely made a footprint in that vast, lonely high country.
2) CUMBRES PASS (today). Not just a location but an icon. When you see it for the first time, you almost can't believe it. There it is, just like in the all those vintage black and white photos.
1) OPHIR on the RGS (circa 1950). Hands down winner with the loop, the trestles, and that classic depot perched on a slope that left no place else to build. Today, you can stand on an overlook on hwy 145, and sqint your eyes and only imagine what all that must have been. "Ophir had atmosphere", wrote Mallory Hope Ferrall in his book, SILVER SAN JUAN.
Sarducci
