Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway

08/02/11

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway has been in continuous operation for 129 years. Steam locomotives pull vintage railroad cars over 45 miles of narrow gauge tracks through the great scenery between Durango and Silverton. The entire trip takes a little over nine hours ( 3 1/2 hours each way with a 2-plus hour stay in Silverton).

Unfortunately, my trip on the railway turned into a bit of an adventure. The trip from Durango to Silverton was really nice and scenic, but I was on the wrong side of the train to see some of the more dramatic scenery. So I was looking forward to seeing the scenery on the return trip, but that opportunity never happened. It started raining while we were in Silverton and we left during a thunderstorm (which was fun since I was in an open-air car). We got about 45 minutes into the return trip when the train stopped. The rains had caused several landslides and the tracks were blocked. The train then had to back the whole way up to Silverton. We were all then returned to Durango by bus. You can see a few photos of the landslide on the railway's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/DSNGRR).

Engine Blowing Off Some More Steam
Steve Winker