Drifting down to Coxo
With brake retainers set, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad's Train 215, the daily westbound out of Antonito, drifts down the 4% grade just west of Cumbres Pass, approaching Coxo Crossing at Mile Post 332.75. With all of the heavy lifting done, the locomotive is set in what's known as a "drifting throttle", releasing just enough steam to keep the cylinders cooled and lubricated, but not enough to make any significant power. The crew focuses on maintaining a constant speed with periodic brake applications. During the hour-long, 2,000 vertical foot descent to Chama, NM, it is not unusual to see the safeties pop periodically as the engine is not using the steam it is making. The crews have also been known to execute firebox blow-downs to clear sediment build-up from the boiler's mud-ring. From a passenger's perspective, my most vivid memories of these descents can be summed up in two words: "brake dust." There is a lot of it!
Drifting down to Coxo
With brake retainers set, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad's Train 215, the daily westbound out of Antonito, drifts down the 4% grade just west of Cumbres Pass, approaching Coxo Crossing at Mile Post 332.75. With all of the heavy lifting done, the locomotive is set in what's known as a "drifting throttle", releasing just enough steam to keep the cylinders cooled and lubricated, but not enough to make any significant power. The crew focuses on maintaining a constant speed with periodic brake applications. During the hour-long, 2,000 vertical foot descent to Chama, NM, it is not unusual to see the safeties pop periodically as the engine is not using the steam it is making. The crews have also been known to execute firebox blow-downs to clear sediment build-up from the boiler's mud-ring. From a passenger's perspective, my most vivid memories of these descents can be summed up in two words: "brake dust." There is a lot of it!