D&RGW 168, Steam locomotive at Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Colorado, United States.
D&RGW 168 is a steam locomotive with smaller wheels built for narrow-gauge track, now stationed at the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad in Colorado. The engine has been fully restored and operates on mountain routes, pulling passenger cars through tight curves and steep grades.
Built in 1883 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, the engine pulled a special train to the Gunnison Tunnel opening in 1909. After decades of service and display, it underwent complete restoration to return to operation.
This locomotive represents how steam engines linked mountain communities across Colorado and made passenger travel through difficult terrain possible. It shows the engineering solutions of its era and the role railroads played in connecting western settlements.
You can see this locomotive in action during seasonal train excursions at the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. Plan ahead by checking which days service runs, as schedules change with the seasons.
This engine once carried President William Howard Taft to a tunnel opening ceremony, a rare honor for a working locomotive of that era. This special moment gives the machine a distinct place in railroad history.
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