Copper Canyon Mexico Train Trip - March 2004

This March along with my wife and son I took a train trip into the
Copper Canyon area from El Fuerte to Divisadero. The trip started at
9am in El Fuerte and was due to arrive in Divisadero around 2:30pm. I
had read several articles on the trip and was prepared from some great
scenery. Yet I was unprepared for just how spectacular the trip was
going to be. The first hour out of El Fuerte could be described as a
flat and rural with small ranches with scatted grazing. But then we
stared into the mountains along a fast flowing river. The valley
narrowed with the single track carved into the side of the canyon.
For the next 3 hours we pass thought the majority of the 86 tunnels
and over 38 bridges that are on the railroad. During that time I
don't think there was ever more than 1 mile of straight track at any
one point. One person with his GPS said that we were averaging about
25 mph. In Mexico you are allowed to stand on the platforms between
the cars (can't do that on Amtrak). From that point the engine at the
front of the train would appear and disappear ever 30 seconds or so as
the train snaked around the curves. It reminded me a one of those
Chinese Dragons that you see in a parade. The guys with the video
cameras thought they were in paradise. At several points the track
seemed suspended in mid air hundreds of feet above the bottom of the
gorge. Above you the top of the mountains soared to over 8000 feet.
That does not seem that high until you remember that you started near
sea level. At Temoris, the train does a 180 turn at the end of what I
would call a box canyon with 1000 ft walls and a waterfall. It then
enters a tunnel and does a 180 degree turn inside the mountain and
emerges 300 ft above the track you were just on. From the top track
you can now see all the tracks and tunnels that you were in. The last
hour of the trip went from 5500 to almost 8000 feet with multiple
views down into the canyons. We pass by some small villages with well
dressed children walking home from school. We depart the train for our
hotel near Divesadero. It is my understanding that the trip east
beyond that point is nice, but in no way compares to the scenery that
we saw. We took a bus trip to the next stop and Creel which ran near
the tracks.

Two days later the return trip to El Fuerte departed Divisadero around
2:30pm. With the sun getting low at the font of the train, I took
advantage of standing on the rear platform. I just hope all my
photographs turn out. After sun went down we went to the dining car
for dinner. We found the food and the service to be excellent and the
prices lower than on Amtrak. All of our meals were under $10.00 each.

The train was also super clean. Everyone received a small garbage bag
and the crew continually cleaned and mopped everything in sight. We
had bottled water and some snacks; however, eating in the coaches is
not encouraged. I had seen one post that commented about dirty or
fogged windows. There was not even a smudge on either the inside or
outside of any of the windows that I sat next to. All the toilets
worked and were so clean they shined.

I had paid $850 per person for a 7 day 6 night bus trip out of Yuma
Arizona which gave me a round trip on the train. If your spouse is
not a rail fan, this is still a trip that they will like. The towns
in Mexico are fascinating and the Tarahumara Indians at the Canyon
sell some of the beautiful baskets and carvings I have ever seen. My
20 year old son thought the trip was a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 and he
is not a big train fan. Armando, our guide from Buffalo Bus in Yuma,
was excellent. He lives in Mexico and was able to tell us more about
the culture than I think any American born guide could have provided.
Most others on the train were with other tour companies that went one
direction. If you only do one direction make sure that you start in
El Fuerte going east. If the west bound train is late, it will be
dark during some of the good scenery. I did meet one couple that had
driven to Chihuahua and were going to El Fuerte and then back. That
would have also been a good option. Also, many companies have a
limited schedule during the summer and some don't even go due to the
hot weather.

I have ridden numerous tourists and Amtrak trains in the east and last
year took the California Zephyr from Denver to Sacramento. The Zephyr
was very good and I would recommend it to anyone. However, the trip
on the train to Copper Canyon is in a class of its own. Armando said
that our train was the last passenger train in Mexico. While I
thought there was one other train, it does concern me that this train
may also disappear. My recommendation is to ride it while you can.

If you have any question… just send me an email.

Don Hazle
Port Matilda, Pa.

"Donald Hazle" wrote in message
om...

If you have any question. just send me an email.

Don Hazle
Port Matilda, Pa.


Thanks for the report, Don!

Any chance you could scan some of those pictures and put them online once
they've been developed?

Richard

Richard,

I am not sure that I am that great of photographer. I also noted that
a web search for "copper canyon" located several photographs of the
canyon and railroad. One of the guys on a trip was going to send me
some of the photographs he took with his digital camera. I will see if
I put them up on a web site.

Don


"Richard" wrote in message ...
Any chance you could scan some of those pictures and put them online once
they've been developed?

Richard

Copper Canyon is difficult to photograph. It does not have the drama of
the Grand Canyon. The canyons may be deep but they are not as steep or
as colorful. Admittedly there are unique features such as the indians
theat are decidely different than those in the US. However the indians
are almost an item of pity as many live in such primitive conditions.
The railroad is certainly interesting. The best way to photograph the
railroad is to get positioned at the rear of the last car on the train
and look backward. Tunnels and bridges gradually become tiresome.

Dick


In article ,
(Donald Hazle) wrote:

Richard,

I am not sure that I am that great of photographer. I also noted that
a web search for "copper canyon" located several photographs of the
canyon and railroad. One of the guys on a trip was going to send me
some of the photographs he took with his digital camera. I will see if
I put them up on a web site.

Don


"Richard" wrote in message
...
Any chance you could scan some of those pictures and put them online
once
they've been developed?

Richard