Hammering through Orgasm Curve
Amid fading fall color, a lone Denver & Rio Grande Western K-36 #489 hammers up the steady 4% grade near Milepost 337.0, on the section of track that has come to be known as "Orgasm Curve." This nickname appears to have come about during the Cumbres & Toltec era and has nothing to do with the railroad, but rather, is a reference to the activities of teenagers, who spent their evenings parked in the dirt lot atop the mesa on the right.
This image was captured during a 7-day photo shoot on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, organized by Lerro Photography. The featured power this day was the 1925-vintage K-36 Mikado #489. The 489 is one of a pair of K-36s which the railroad converted to oil-burning in 2021 as wildfire prevention measure in this relatively dry region.
Hammering through Orgasm Curve
Amid fading fall color, a lone Denver & Rio Grande Western K-36 #489 hammers up the steady 4% grade near Milepost 337.0, on the section of track that has come to be known as "Orgasm Curve." This nickname appears to have come about during the Cumbres & Toltec era and has nothing to do with the railroad, but rather, is a reference to the activities of teenagers, who spent their evenings parked in the dirt lot atop the mesa on the right.
This image was captured during a 7-day photo shoot on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, organized by Lerro Photography. The featured power this day was the 1925-vintage K-36 Mikado #489. The 489 is one of a pair of K-36s which the railroad converted to oil-burning in 2021 as wildfire prevention measure in this relatively dry region.