Re: Driving Tour of the Chili Line and Farmington Branch?

Some years ago I took a tour of the Chili Line starting from Santa Fe. I first found the way to Buckman Rd and drove it as far as I could in a rental car. The grade is shown on Topo Maps from Acme Mapper 2.1, which also has a direct tie with a satellite view. This is probably a waste of time but you could see trestle pilings in the dry washes you had to cross. After getting back to Santa Fe, it was North on 285 until a left on 502 to Los Alamos. Stop at Otowi Bridge, then right to Espanola on 30. You might see another set of trestle pilings on your right as the grade is close and sometimes on the road. In Espanola take a left on 285 then right on Railroad Ave which I believe is on the grade. I took a right on Fairview Rd, crossing the Rio Grande to take 68 toward Taos. The grade will be on the other side of the river. I stopped at Embudo, crossing the river. At the time it had a restaurant and you could walk over to the tank, station and one old outbuilding still in RG buff. The present view shows that the grade had become access to a small development further up river. I stayed on 68 to 570 which continues up the Rio Grande cayon and some pretty spectacular rock work.. you cross the river and this road becomes 567 straight to Taos Jct which is right at the jct with 285. Forest Rd 557 is on your left and is on the grade to Barranca Tank. The satellite view clearly shows the wye at Barranca. I did not venture down this road but followed 285 past Tres Piedras,No Aqua, Volcano and Antonito. The Acme site is great for following the grade and the earlier topo sometimes shows it as well. The climb up from river level of the Rio Grande to the mesa above on 567 is shown in Otto Perry's Chili Line DVD and I stopped at the same curve he did to take a movie of his Ford. This was the direct route to Taos from Taos Jct at one time but from the map it appears the road to Taos has now been covered by a slide.