When riding the train into Cumbres from Chama, the first sight of Cumbres is the wonderful Section House. These structures were built at many locations along the railroad to house the crews that were responsible for a "section" of track.

The standard D&RG Section Houses had a basic box shape that could be expanded with second and third box wings as needed. At Cumbres the house has a rear kitchen wing.

This structure was designed for the snow. The roof slopes continuously to help snow slide off. In the winter the snow can get so deep it has to be shoveled off the roof to prevent collapse.

Today you can still visit the structure near the main highway and imagine the crew and their families huddled around the old coal stove on a cold winter night.