Rigth you are, Doug. The hill out of Chama actually starts at MP 341 in the narrows, there are a couple of stretches of 3+% getting to that spot. The grade levels at the west Switch of Lobato and picks up again just off the end of the bridge. Other than a few short sags, the next break is at Coxo where the grade eased where the siding used to be. The hill comes back as you make the curve.
According to the track profile I have, the 4% grade on the east side of Marshall Pass started just out of Poncha Jct. and continued all the way to the summit 20.6 miles away. There appears to be a bit of a sag at Mears Jct. The 4% on the west side starts a few miles west of Sargents at Buxton and continues for 14.1 miles to Marshall Pass.
The east side of Cerro Summit had 5.6 miles of 4% from Cimmarron to Cerro Summit. The west side of Cerro had 6.7 miles of 4% from Cedar Creek to Cerro Summit.
The east side of Poncha Pass had 9.5 miles of 4% including the 6 miles from Poncha Jct to Mears Jct. The west side of Poncha Pass had a 4 mile stretch of 3 percent.
The RGS climb over Dallas Divide began about 5 miles out of Ridgway at Hagens and continued 7.1 miles to the summit at Peak.
Lizard Head was not as steep. The rulling grade was 3-3.25 percent. Vance Jct to Lizard Head was 14.8 miles, Coke Ovens to Lizard Head 9.9 miles. There was a short stretch of 4% on the Telluride Branch - 3.2 miles from Anderson to Keystone.
I do not have my C&S timetable reprints handy, but I believe on the South Park there was 4% from Webster to Kenosha (6.6 miles), Jefferson to Kenosha (5.1 miles). Someone else will have to fill in what was on the west side of Trout Creek Pass and where the 4% started on the way to Alpine Tunnel. Nathrop to Alpine is 25 miles, but I think the steep hill began at St. Elmo, which would cut it down to only 8.5 miles. The west side of Alpine was 4% from Quartz to the Tunnel (10.1 miles)
Other Hills To Be Climbed:
Santa Fe Branch - Embudo to Barranca 7.5 miles of 4%.
Monarch Branch - Maysville to Monarch 8.4 miles of 4.5%.
The Winner is: Longest Hill - east side of Marshall Pass at 20.6 miles (like going from Chama to Los Pinos on a 4% hill.)
Steepest Hill - 8.4 miles of 4.5% on the Monarch Branch.
In the non-narrow gauge side we have such thrillers as the west side of Hagerman Pass on the Colorado Midland - 41.6 miles of 3% (with 8 miles of 2.5% to give you a break) from Basalt to Ivanhoe - add a couple more miles to get to Hagerman Tunnel itself. All done with old slide valve soak 2-8-0's burning 3 tanks of coal and boiling 4 tanks of water to get there at about 6 mph...
I think I'll stick with Cumbres, thank you.
