(twangy music) ♪ (male vocalist) ♪ Get on board, we're ready to go ♪ ♪ See the world from the scenic railroad ♪ ♪ From the snowcapped mountains to the sunny coast ♪ ♪ On the Great Scenic Railway Journey ♪ ♪ (engine chugging) (banjo music) ♪ Hi, I'm David Holt, and welcome back to Great Scenic Railway Journeys.

Well, it's time to continue our journey visiting some of the most scenic and historic tourist steam railways in North America.

♪ (whistle blowing) (twangy music) ♪ Coming up in this episode of Great Scenic Railway Journeys, we'll head to the states of Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico to travel on some of this region's most historic steam trains.

First stop, Ely, Nevada, which is home to the Nevada Northern Railway.

This place is considered to be one of the best preserved railroads in North America and is a National Historic Landmark.

The buildings are still here complete with its original depot, engine house, freight house, along with all the rolling stock.

We'll tour the historic grounds along with taking a trip up to the copper mines it once served, see a steam crane in action, and meet one of the lucky patrons that actually gets to be an engineer for a day.

♪ From Nevada, we head to Arizona to one of America's most visited national parks, the Grand Canyon.

The best way to get to the park today is by train.

The Grand Canyon Railway transports its riders in some of this country's last remaining streamliner passenger cars.

We'll experience firsthand the luxury they provide and all the fun entertainment on the way to the canyon.

(whistle blowing) We see a rare double header where two steam locomotives are used to pull the long collection of cars, see their impressive shops, and show what it takes to keep this fleet on the rails.

(bell ringing) Last stop, Chama, New Mexico, to journey on the famed Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.

It too is a National Historic Landmark and is considered America's most authentic steam powered railroad.

We'll travel its full 64 miles to Antonito, Colorado.

Along the way, we'll see the ever-changing topography this line goes through.

We'll meet the army of volunteers that keeps this historic time machine running and see the many restoration efforts being done here.

All these railway adventures and more coming up next on this episode of Great Scenic Railway Journeys.

As a kid, I always dreamed about what it might be like to climb in the cab of a steam engine and be an engineer.

Well, our next railway actually allows that dream to come true.

To experience this dream, you'll have to head to the state of Nevada in the town of East Ely, home of the Nevada Northern Railway.

(soft music) It was through here that a good part of the precious ore mined from nearby mountains passed on its way to help build America.

(male #1) It all had to do with copper.

There is a huge copper deposit 10 miles to the west of us, and they actually operated 60 ore trains a day, 30 coming down the hill, 30 going back up the hill.

You can imagine, this was an incredibly busy place.

(David) Eventually, however, the economics no longer added up and the mines were closed.

In 1979, the rolling stock, yard, and the complete facilities were deeded to the city of Ely.

(Mark) When the copper mining ended, there wasn't any demand for the land and everything, so the city came to an arrangement with Kennecott, the owner, and Kennecott donated the entire complex to the city.

They literally just picked up their hats and coats and walked off the property and turned the keys over.

So we have everything here.

(David) Today, it's widely considered to be the most complete example of an early 20th century railroad in existence, including, of course, the steam engines.

(Mark) Our three steam locomotives are unique to the Nevada Northern.

They're still on the property and two of them are back in service and we're going to put the third one back in service.

(mellow music) ♪ (David) They come from all around the world to partake in this historical journey.

-How are you two today?

-Wonderful, how about you?

(conductor) Oh, when I'm on a train, I'm always wonderful.

-Isn't that great?

-I'm glad you're with us -this morning.

-We are, too, thank you.

(bell ringing) (whistle blowing) (steam hissing) (David) Today's trip is being pulled by steam engine Number 40.

The railway purchased her new in 1910 for just under $14,000, and it's been here ever since.

She's called the Queen and is the pride and joy of the Nevada Northern.

Today, she's taking her passengers up to the copper mines in Ruth.

It's a 14-mile round-trip that passes through a 311-foot-long tunnel.

(soft music) Their historic journey isn't over once they arrive back in town.

(Mark) When you come back to East Ely, we actually shove the train down to the machine shop and engine house, and included in the ticket price is your opportunity to take a walking guided tour through the machine shop and into the engine house.

♪ (David) Not many tourist railroads allow visitors to get this up close and personal.

♪ (machinery rumbling) If you're lucky, you may be able to see the only operating steam crane in North America.

The railway puts on demonstrations in the yard to show that their steam crane is still an integral part of day-to-day operations.

(male #2) It was pretty impressive.

You know, I sorta wanted to get up there myself... (laughing) ...and play with it.

I had one of these things when I was a kid, and here I am staring at this and it's working probably just as well as it was maybe 80 years ago, whenever they were using it.

(mellow music) (David) Sometimes the souvenir a visitor takes home is an unforgettable life-changing experience.

This place is only one of a handful in the world where you can learn to operate a steam engine.

(male #3) It's absolutely fabulous.

It almost brought tears to my eyes.

Ever since I was a little kid, when I was probably six years old, my grandfather hoisted me up in a steam engine, and ever since then, I've wanted to get my hands on the throttle.

(male #4) I wanna check all these nuts and make sure the cotter pins are in.

(female #1) Gotcha.

(David) For a few lucky and determined ones, their dream of working on the railroad comes true.

They have the good fortune of leaving some less rewarding but probably higher paying jobs somewhere else for the deep satisfaction of full-time employment on the Nevada Northern.

(female #1) It's very satisfying.

I like the steam engines.

I like the history, I like the mechanics, I like working with the machines.

At the end of the day, you can step off the engine and feel like you've accomplished something, you've made people smile, and that's pretty satisfying.

(David) And what about the soot under the fingernails?

(Natasha) Ah, you can clip 'em off.

They get too long anyway, they start bending over in your gloves.

I keep my toes pretty, I'm still a girl.

♪ (David) If you get the idea that railroading can become addictive, you're right.

Just ask any of Nevada Northern's 100 or so dedicated volunteers, whom you're likely to find up to their elbows in the real stuff of railroading.

(Mark) Basically, the Nevada Northern Railway could not operate if we didn't have volunteers.

(female #2) I've spoken to some of the volunteers.

They're from all over the country, they're from California, Montana, Oregon, and they come to volunteer for a whole summer, some of 'em.

It's incredibly encouraging to know that there are that many people who care, that give of themselves and their time to volunteer to make this railway be what it is.

♪ (David) If you really wanna see what railroading life was like back in the old days, this is the place to visit.

It's obvious why the Nevada Northern Railway is designated a National Historical Landmark.

(bell ringing) The Grand Canyon is considered one of the most magnificent natural wonders of the world, and one of the most popular ways to get there today is by train.

Since 1901, our next steam railway has transported millions of visitors to the south rim of the canyon.

(soft music) Next stop, the Grand Canyon Railway located in Williams, Arizona.

♪ Over eons, the Colorado River relentlessly carved out these 30,000 acres of breathtaking beauty from flat land and gave us the Grand Canyon.

Two thousand feet down, at the bottom, the river has exposed two-billion-year-old rocks.

To glory in this geology more than a century ago, you had to walk, ride a horse or a mule or a stagecoach to get there, but the door was flung open for everyone in 1901 by this.

(whistle blowing) (bell ringing) The railroad out of Williams hauled only ore in the 1800s until a local official got the idea of extending the rails to the canyon for tourists.

The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe made it happen, replacing a skull-pounding eight-hour stagecoach ride with a couple of hours on a restful train.

And you might say people like it.

(male #5) It's a great way to get out of the car.

Most of us travel by car all the time.

We're in and out, it's very hectic, and on the train, which is two hours and 15 minutes, you have time to relax and enjoy the ride, look out the window, see some animals, but talk to your family, get up and move around in the train, have a beverage and a snack and just really relax on your way to the Grand Canyon.

(male #6) Morning, everybody, my name is Phil.

I'm your conductor today.

Hope you're having a good time with us.

The train today is being pulled by our vintage steamer Number 29, built in 1906 by the American Locomotive Company, and it's powerful enough to pull up to eight fully loaded cars up our steepest hill.

(David) And those cars, from open Pullmans to closed air-conditioned cars, an observation car straight out of an old Technicolor movie.

This railroad does a very good job of preserving transportation from a variety of eras actually.

You start out with our steam engine that's on the train today built in 1906.

The newest piece of equipment that we have on the train was built in the early 1950s.

(male #7) You can't go and buy a car like this anymore, and that's why you really appreciate these types of railways that go to the extra effort to restore and refurbish and to actually run them so you can actually feel the history.

The service is great, the people were excellent on the train.

Had an enjoyable time.

It's more family-oriented.

It's open, people get to talk to one another, you get to look at each other, the people that are in the same cabin with you.

It's very enjoyable.

You do not get that on travel with any other form of transportation.

(David) The Grand Canyon Railway goes out of its way to delight its passengers.

There's lot of entertaining cowboys on the train, some that will sing to you, and some that will take your money.

(bandit) Hey, quiet down!

Now we're gonna rob each and every one of you!

And we take fold money, pocket change, jewelry, and gold teeth.

I'll get 'em.

I'll get 'em!

Hurry up, girl, I haven't got all day, I'm chasing robbers.

(laughing) (David) There's no doubt about it, whether you're four or 84, a ride on the Grand Canyon is sure to be something you'll never forget.

(female #3) The kids really had fun.

They laughed a lot, there was lots of entertainment, and it was-- they involved the kids, too.

It's just amazing how scenic it is and it's completely different from the type of landscaping we have in Massachusetts, so it's just a completely different view of the United States.

Oh, I think this trip's unique for a lot of reasons.

I think the number one thing that makes it unique-- because we go to the number one destination in the West, and that's the Grand Canyon.

(David) And when folks arrive at the century-old log style depot and find their way to the canyon rim, well, that's just something extra cool.

(female #4) It's an excellent experience.

This is one of the top 10 places people want to see in their lifetime.

I didn't realize how big it was.

It was amazing, and all the different colors to it.

In a book, it just looked-- it was just a picture.

(David) Making sure the engines are ready for service every day takes a lot of skilled people.

(male #7) We have over 100 moving parts on this engine that we have to check.

We do a safety check, we listen for leaks, looking for defects.

It's not like a diesel where you just check the oil, fire it up, and it's ready to go.

The steam engine's alive, you've gotta listen to it.

(David) Walking into the Grand Canyon shops, you feel you've walked into a modern railroad facility.

This place can maintain, repair, and rebuild just about anything.

(male #8) We're running antiques, so we have to have the capability to manufacture parts and pieces, if you will, to keep this railroad operating.

We can rebuild a steam engine from the ground up, we can rebuild a car from the ground up.

We have approximately 60 employees at any given time.

(whistle blowing) (David) The steam engines at Grand Canyon sometimes get to work together, a tandem arrangement railroaders call a double header.

(John W. Moore) There's something about showing a train that you can really be proud of and you can-- it's different than anything else you can do.

You can ride a bus, you can ride a car, you can ride a horse, but how many places can you go and ride the train and have fun like the fun we have here?

(David) A steam engine pulling a train of vintage cars is like a memory machine, one of life's unexpected pleasures we get to enjoy from time to time thanks to tourist railroads like the Grand Canyon, a pleasure that needs to be preserved forever.

(engine chugging) (banjo music) ♪ In 1879, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad started building over 200 miles of narrow gauge track from Antonito, Colorado, to Silverton to service the mines deep in the San Juan Mountains.

Now today, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad operates on 64 miles of this historic line and it's considered by many to be America's most authentic steam powered railroad.

This railway is located just south of New Mexico's border with Colorado in the town of Chama, headquarters for one of America's most appealing tourist railroads.

(chugging) Here is the lullaby of the valley, the lonesome floating echo.

In a manmade cloud burst, iron thunder erupts.

(whistle blowing) The siren call of the canyon.

A century-long symphony of sights and sounds affecting all your senses.

(majestic music) And those lucky enough to experience it firsthand are changed forever.

It's kind of a spiritual thing, in a way.

You know, the clouds seem closer, the moon seems closer.

Everyone who's been on the train, I think their lives have been enriched by the experience.

(upbeat music) (David) In a faded calendar, it's 1880, and in the San Juan Mountains, a railroad is built.

Sixty-four miles of track laid by hand drills, black powder, and nine months of muscle and mules.

(female #5) It boggles my mind when I try to figure out how these people actually built this railroad.

All the work--how did they get the material up here, how did they get through the rock?

It's fascinating.

(soft music) (David) A phantom curve... a rock tunnel... an iron trestle.

For most of the day, you're on a turn-of-the-century time machine.

The remarkable thing about the Cumbres and Toltec is that it is truly a time capsule.

Unlike most tourist railroads, we've got all the stuff that was here, and we've got it in large volume.

So instead of a glimpse of the past, you really get to be immersed in the past in a way that surrounds you, which you don't escape.

You know, you don't need to worry about, well, if you look this way, you'll see a McDonald's or you'll see a big parking lot.

It's the past as far as you can see in all directions.

(chugging) (David) From the rails to the rolling stock, everything about the Cumbres and Toltec journey is authentic.

From its K class locomotive to its vintage rail cars, a historic travelogue where every detail has been left intact, a fully immersive experience.

(female #6) You can really see the steam coming out, and you can feel it when the water comes over you.

To smell the smoke and get the cinders in your eyes and enjoy it.

I'm a teacher and I think kids today too-- have too much of a separation from real things.

You know, they play their video games and this and that, and this was a real experience that showed 'em, you know, a glimpse of history.

(dramatic music) (David) The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad has been designated a National Historic Landmark and has been hailed by several publications as America's best scenic train ride.

Hop aboard and you'll see why.

Traversing the steep topography between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado, a journey through the San Juan Mountains in the lush Conejos Valley, an untamed and Wild West setting that's been the soundstage for over a dozen Hollywood films and countless tourist pictures.

♪ The trip takes about six and a half hours and is the ultimate frontier thrill ride.

There's the 800-foot drop of Toltec Gorge, the 408-foot crossing of Cascade Trestle, and the 360 feet of darkness and rock tunnel all set at a pace to take it all in.

(male #9) The sights, the sounds, the smells, it's something I've never experienced, and it's really been enjoyable.

(whistle blowing) (bell ringing) (David) Halfway through your journey, you get to also smell and savor a buffet lunch at the Osier Dining Hall.

It's a hunger-stopping hoedown.

(female #7) It's amazing that they can put on a spread like this up here.

They put on a good meal and serve a lot of people, and it's beautiful scenery.

The scenery is just the most gorgeous scenery I've ever seen and then to top it off with this wonderful food is just really a wonderful experience.

(bell ringing) (chugging) (David) It's an experience that takes a worldwide effort.

(male #10) You guys are the heart and soul of this organization, and I can't thank you enough.

So let's go to work, be safe, and have some fun today, okay?

(cheering and clapping) (David) The Friends of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad are a nonprofit group that roll up their sleeves and spend seven weeks out of the year making sure the railroad, the rolling stock, and the buildings remain in pristine shape.

The organization is 2,300 strong with members from every state and 14 countries.

We have carpenters, master mechanics, welders, civil engineers.

We couldn't accomplish what we do if we didn't have that diverse of a skill set.

(male #11) Our engine's a 1925 Baldwin.

Made in 1925, it cost $27,500 brand new.

Today, our overhaul is in excess of one million dollars.

(David) The Friends of the Cumbres and Toltec also serve as onboard interpreters.

(male #11) I do this, because I want to see this bit of history last for generations to come, and the only way it's gonna do that is through the volunteers.

The best words to say are "thank you."

Keep it going.

We really need to save this for our grandchildren to see, our children in the future.

This is just one spectacular, untouched piece of land, of history that everyone should come up and be able to see.

(male #12) I don't know of any railroad in the world that's like this, that has all this equipment.

The unique locomotives that were running on this train back in the day as well as all the structures that are still in existence that have been restored, this is a fantastic railroad, and it is living history.

(chugging) (orchestral music) ♪ (David) The days of hauling silver have long passed, replaced by a different treasure, one that rewards those who seek valleys and peaks and the winding ways of steam and shoveled coal, who understands the past can bring contentment to the present as one soars towards the sun.

♪ (clacking) (steam hissing) (soft music) ♪ Coming up on the next episode of Great Scenic Railway Journeys, we'll take an in-depth look at one of North America's most historic steam trains, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge.

A journey on this line is like taking a step back in time.

From riding in their original equipment to views along the way that have not changed since it was built, we'll traverse the famous High Line, which was hand-carved out of this rock face back in 1882, explore the old mining town of Silverton, step in the railroad's back shops, and visit their museum, which tells the complete story of this railroad and how it was nearly scrapped, the fire that almost destroyed it, and its rebirth to become one of America's most treasured heritage steam railroads.

(whistle blowing) Coming up on the next episode of Great Scenic Railway Journeys.

♪ (bell ringing) If you'd like to find out more about Great Scenic Railway Journeys and the railroads you've seen in this series, visit our website at www.GSRJ.com.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed our look at some of North America's most scenic and historic tourist steam railways and all the beautiful equipment here at the California State Railroad Museum.

I'm David Holt and until the next Great Scenic Railway Journeys, all aboard!

(banjo music) ♪ (engine rumbling) (twangy music) ♪ (male vocalist) ♪ Get on board, we're ready to go ♪ ♪ See the world from the scenic railroad ♪ ♪ From the snowcapped mountains to the sunny coast ♪ ♪ On the Great Scenic Railway Journey ♪ ♪ (engine rumbling)