The Chili Line was the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad's narrow gauge route from Antonito, Colorado, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It operated along its 125-mile route from 1880 to 1941. The Chili Line received its unique nickname from the chili peppers which farmers along the route would string on lines to dry. This book celebrates the history of the railroad, as well as people and places along the line. The Chili Line passed through Hispanic villages and Indian Pueblos, and its effect upon them is noted. Travelers today can still find traces of the Chili Line in existence, such as railroad depots in Antonito, Embudo, and Santa Fe. Water tanks can be seen in Tres Piedras and Embudo. Roadbed for the tracks may still be seen along the Rio Grande. Historic photos of railroad operations at these places are included in the book, as well as contemporary photos showing the same sites today. Maps are included to allow readers to track the Chili Line's route. The Chili Line Railroad to Santa Fe takes readers along the route of a long-abandoned rail line, but one still very much alive in the hearts of rail fans and history lovers today.

From narrow-gauge lines to Amtrak, this railroad lover's book shows the importance of trains to New Mexico's heritage.

Claude Wiatrowski, with photography by Claude Wiatrowski. Through informative text, sharp color photography, and historical black-and-white images, Railroads of Colorado invites you on a journey from the railroad's humble and hard-won beginnings to its status as a symbol of our past. Railroads of Colorado also includes ideas for exploring Colorado's railways; both the ghosts of long-gone trains that haunt the mountains and the preserved trains whose whistles still echo off those granite peaks. It also contains other helpful information--such as a map showing the routes of more than 30 Colorado rail lines and a "railroad directory," which lists the contact information for 13 operating passenger trains and trolleys.Explores the fascination these improbable railways inspire, providing the history of these unique railroads, the engineering that paved their way into the mountains, and the men who built and ran them.

The story of modern Espa-ola begins in 1790, about 100 years after the Pueblo Revolt, at the colonial settlement of Santa Cruz de la Ca-ada, the largest village in the Spanish Empire north of Chihuahua. At that time, the people of the region lived in tiny hamlets clustered around the hub of Santa Cruz. In 1848, following the Mexican American War, the U.S. government annexed New Mexico under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Santa Cruz de la Ca-ada was now American territory, connected to a larger world by the Santa Fe Trail. New energy began to flow into the region. The arrival of the Chili Line railroad in 1880 created a corridor of commerce across the river from Santa Cruz--a portent of the Espa-ola to come.

This travel guide with historic and modern photos offers maps as well as notable and picturesque route suggestions, perfect for American history buffs. With its ancient pueblos and dinosaur bones, its gold mines and railroads, and its pioneering place in the westward push of the American frontier, Colorado is a state alive with history. This illustrated adventure through historical Colorado takes readers by scenic backroads from the towering Rocky Mountains to the vast Great Plains, with stops at every turn for a revealing view of the state’s rich past. Filled with spectacular modern photographs and historic black-and-white images, Historic Colorado tells the stories behind the most important and fascinating places in the growth and character of the Centennial State. The book follows in the footsteps of explorers and prospectors, cowpokes and pioneers, down the Santa Fe Trail, across the Continental Divide, up Clear Creek, and over Lizard Head Pass. It explores the legacy of mining, the railroads, and the Old West, as well as the heritage of Native Americans. It ventures through towns and cities, farmland and untamed wilderness, revisiting the stories of the people and personalities who made centuries of history in America’s highest state. Maps and travel tips round out the book, making it as useful to the tourist as it is entertaining for the armchair traveler.