The morning air in Antonito carried the distinct, sharp scent of warm oil and steam. As passengers climbed aboard the wooden cars, the oil-fired engine let out a smooth, deep whistle, its steady rhythm carrying the train out across the high-desert plains of the San Luis Valley.

The track climbed steadily into the foothills, winding past the towering volcanic spires of Phantom Curve before edging along the sheer drop of Toltec Gorge. Looking straight down eight hundred feet to the river below, passengers held their breath as the engine pulled through the pitch-black Rock Tunnel and burst out into the bright meadow sunlight.

By noon, the train rolled into high-altitude Osier Station at 9,600 feet for a hot chuckwagon lunch of turkey, gravy, and peach cobbler.

For the return trip, a classic coal-fired locomotive took the lead. The ride back to Antonito took on a whole new personality—the sharp, unmistakable smell of coal smoke drifted over the open-air gondola, and the chug of the engine sounded heavier as it worked its way back down the mountain, bringing everyone safely home to the valley.