Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-0 #315 returned to steam in August of 2007 after a 7-year restoration by the Durango Railroad Historical Society. Ten years later the DRHS commemorated the anniversary of that first steam-up with 3 days of special excursions on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. "A Decade in Steam" chronicles those 3 days in late August - plus a 2-day photo freight in early June - as #315 spent all of 2017 on the Cumbres & Toltec.
Prior to opening day, #315's tender was painted with the "flying" Rio Grande logo for the first time since being returned to operation, and it would remain that way for the rest of the year. This program starts with scenes from a photo charter organized by the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec, a week after opening day. On Saturday June 3rd, #315 ran from Antonito to Cumbres Pass, performing a number of photo runby's along the way. The next day, the locomotive traveled back to Antonito with more photo stops en-route.
#315 would then spend the next 2 months on display in Chama, before being fired up for the 10th anniversary festivities at the end of August. You'll see all 3 days of operation, beginning on Saturday August 26th with a trip from Chama to Cumbres Pass for volunteers and supporters. #315 would again climb the 4% grade to Cumbres on Sunday, while traveling to Antonito for a second 10th anniversary trip on Monday. We'll conclude our coverage with this public excursion, which ran from Antonito to Osier and return.
Filmed entirely in HD, this program showcases the varied scenery of the 64-mile long National Historic Landmark Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, where it's easy to turn the clock back to an earlier time. This program has minimal narration (with the option to turn it on or off) and no distracting music.
In addition to the standard widescreen DVD, this program is also available on HD Blu-ray disc.