The photo that serves as the basis for this painting is over 20 years old. I think it was taken in 1999, back when all I have is paper copies of photos. We were on the narrow-gauge Durango Silverton train (in the southwestern corner of Colorado) on our way into the mountains. It was late October and rainy, then snowy as we climbed toward Silverton. It was very damp and the train windows were fogged up, so we made our way to the final car, which was open. We froze, but the views were fantastic. The train was long enough that we could see the whole train whenever the way curved. I had painted this scene a number of times in Colorado in watercolor and oil. In fact,I sold a copy at least once and I used the image on my calling cards. I thought it would be fun to try it again. I found it more difficult than I expected. Early in my career, I just painted what was in the photo. Now I tried to improve the composition. For example, eliminating the tree in the foreground, which slashed the photo vertically. But then the old problem, what to paint instead. It took me a while, and some consulting with an artist friend, to work out the details.