On September 16 we parked at the side of the railroad’s office building in Canon City CO where we met the Ashbys the next morning for a 12:30 luncheon ride on the line. We very much enjoyed our hours with them. (Pictures were taken by a Canon A1100 IS 12.1 mp camera)
The motor home parking place was level and even had 20 amp electricity!
The old Santa Fe depot is used by the line, also called Royal Gorge Route. The locomotive no. 8 is a narrow gauge Shay and was used on the Georgetown Loop. Now it is retired to display. Narrow gauge was the first gauge used in the gorge.
Our hosts, Lindsey and Rosa Ashby, in the Visa Dome diner from the Alaska Railroad.
Jo and me after drinks were served. The blue bottle contained Riesling from The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey at Canon City.
The Oktoberfest menu was in effect, so we all had brats for the main course.
Shown are parts of 10 of the 16 cars in the consist as we headed up the Royal Gorge carved by the Arkansas River. The ride is about 20 miles round trip and takes two hours.
This is the famous Hanging Bridge built by the Santa Fe before the conclusion of the Royal Gorge War. It is shown in many old photographs of celebrities riding the line. The steel beams cross the river and supported rails which had water running beneath them. That space now has been filled in with fill.
The river through the gorge is rated as class 5 rapids for white water rafters.
And some were rafting this cool day.
In this calm water the rafters could take the time to wave to passengers. We were watching another raft when the guide was thrown out in a rough patch. The last we saw of him he was floating down the river in front of the raft.
This was our lead locomotive on the return trip. For you rail fans, it is a F7A. The lead loco on the way up also was a F7A.
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