Orginally our schedule for this day was very light, with just the drive to Durango. However, Elizabeth remembered that at South Fork, railbikes were available to ride. She checked the Revolution Rail website a couple of days before and their schedule fit ours perfectly. So we had something new to experience, which we were looking forward to.
Elizabeth and I awoke at the Quality Inn in Alamosa and following our Internet duties, drove to Campus Café where I enjoyed French Toast. After that we drove to Monte Vista and saw a headlight down the tracks.
San Luis Central RailroadThe San Luis Central Railroad is based in Monte Vista and was founded in 1913 to haul sugar beets from grower to processor. The railroad was acquired in 1969 by the Pea Vine Corporation and today operates freight traffic through a connection with the Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad hauling mainly grain, potatoes and fertilizer. SLC is also a railcar owner, mostly refrigerator cars and boxcars.
The railroad is 13 miles long, located between Sugar Junction and Center, Colorado. The railroad owns two locomotives: Electro Motive Division SW8 number 70 and General Electric 70 ton locomotive number 71. The company is owned by Rail World, Inc., which is controlled by Ed Burkhardt and is the president of record of San Luis Central.
San Luis Central SW7 70, ex. Coors Brewing Company C997, nee Cincinnati Union Terminal 36, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952.
View of the San Luis Central train. We were invited to come over to their property and met Thomas Tancula, General Manager, who gave us two railroad hats.
My newest hat. Elizabeth asked to see the GE swuitcher so Thomas led the way and had an employee open the end doors of the shops for more light.
San Luis Central 70 ton switcher 71 built by General Electric in 1955.
San Luis Central wooden caboose 1.
Amtrak Express Trak 60 foot mechanical refrigerator car 74092 originally built in 1970 but rebuilt in 2001 by Ebenezer Railcar.
Amtrak Express Trak 60 foot mechanical refrigerator car 74041 originally built in 1970 but rebuilt in 2001 by Ebenezer Railcar.
From here, I drove us to South Fork where we signed in and brought T-shirts, pins and coffee mugs, which I put in the car's boot for safe-keeping.
Butte, Anaconda and Pacific wooden coach 8, builder and year unknown.
Revolution Rail Company Rio Grande RunAfter checking-in at the South Fork Railroad Station, railbikers will receive a short safety briefing and the tour guides will lead the 6-mile out-and-back trip. Riders on the South Fork Run enjoy a gorgeous ride alongside the Rio Grande, featuring spectacular views of the surrounding terrain and vistas.
Feeling adventurous? We are now offering a Pedals and Paddles combo trip! Guides will lead guests on a 5-mile one way railbike trip that includes expansive vistas of the Rio Grande and Coller State Wildlife Area. Arriving at the rafting put-in, guests will join our partners Rocky Mountain Ski and Raft who will provide all equipment and safety instruction before beginning the 6-mile Rio Grande paddle excursion back to the Depot, for a perfect day in the San Luis Valley.
The rail bikes on which we would be riding.
Enjoy Your Rail Bike Trip sign.
We were ready for a new adventure.
After 11:00 AM, we left South Fork to start our 3.5 mile trip one way to the turn-around point.
The milepost 300.0 signpost.
You spread out for safety reasons.
The power of the rail bikes are our legs.
We were the fourth rail bike of the 11:00 AM trip.
Some of the homes along our route.
We were following the Rio Grande River upstream.
Rolling towards a cattle guard.
Rolling by aspen trees.
Our leaders always kept an eye on all participants.
Do not get off the rail bikes on the bridge.
Following our leaders on a beautiful May day.
The Rio Grande River again.
We ran through a community of homes.
The ever-pacing mesa rolling our route with the Rio Grande River below.
Following our leaders.
The Rio Grande River once again.
At the halfway point, everyone detrained.
Our leaders then turned each bike on a mini turntable.
That mesa again at our turn-around point.
The aspen trees.
Cisco, our main leader, telling about the history of the railroad and Creede history. We all then reboarded before starting the 3.5 mile journey back to South Fork.
As we pedalled back, the rail bike ahead of us.
The Rio Grande River on our way back.
The snowy peak ahead our us.
The Rio Grande River.
The tree minus their late spring leaves.
As we neared South Fork, the trip was nearly over. We arrived back and thanked Cisco for an excellent adventure on the Creede Branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Western.
I then drove us over Wolf Creek Pass and down into Pagosa Springs, where we stopped at a Speedway for petrol. Elizabeth then drove us to Denny's in Durango for an early dinner before we checked into the Quality Inn then after 6:00 PM, Elizabeth drove us to the Durango and Silverton Railroad's station parking lot and later we signed our releases for tomorrow's charter trip. We then returned to the motel for the night.
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