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Locomotive 473 rounding the famous curve above the Animas Gorge
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Click on an image to see a larger size in Flickr |
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You may have come here directly from the Focalplane Hub. Then again you may be taking a Side Trip from the Colorado 4x4 travelogue. Either way, you can return by selecting the appropriate links at the top and bottom of this page. The Durango & Silverton Railroad is a preserved portion of the original Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge network that was built to serve the burgeoning mining a lumber communities during the big push west. If you are ever in the region you should consider a trip on the D&SRR an essential component of your visit! |
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| In a Nutshell:
Date: July 1996 Weather: Warm and dry but then the heavens opened in Silverton! Route: We took an early morning bus from Silverton station to Durango and boarded the first train up the line back to Silverton. The railroad organizes this for people starting out from Silverton. Make sure you book seats on the right side of the train going north. Unless you suffer from vertigo! Recommended? Absolutely, even if you don't like trains! For some reason this journey doesn't figure in our top 5 list. Perhaps it should! |
| Durango is the headquarters of the line and operates year round (in winter the trains only go to Cascade Canyon). Silverton is simply a destination and a place where the trains can turn round. We arrived in good time and walked around the depot until we saw our locomotive backing up to the consist.
Denver Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotives are huge, powerful engines that seem to completely dominate the tracks on which they ride. |
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The first few miles see the trains move out of Durango and up the broad valley of the Animas River. After about half an hour, however, things start to get more interesting as the valley narrows, the roads disappear and soon we realize we are on our own on the western side of the Animas Gorge. This photo was taken from the train! |
| The Animas Gorge gets more interesting with every huff and puff of the heavy locomotive. The piece de resistance comes on a sharp curve high above the raging river. It is a picture captured thousands of times every year, displayed on posters, used for jigsaws, tea towels, coffee mugs and so on. So here are a few more, just so that you can't say you have never seen photos of the Animas Gorge!
Of course, the reason for all this is simply that the train is on a tight curve so everyone on the train can see what is happening ahead! |
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This photo shows the full splendour of the engineering. Nature actually makes the locomotives look like toys in this photo and you do get the full impact of what is going on when you see how diminutive the train becomes!
The photo below is for the train buffs! |
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Locomotive # 473 above the Animas Gorge
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| Once through the Gorge the train follows the Animas River all the way to Silverton, climbing steadily as the river's gradient demands. At a bridge over the Animas the locomotives always slows down and let off steam (clearing out the cylinders of any condensed water) for the photographers on board. |  |
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The locomotive is always working on the journey to Silverton as this photo shows. Number 473 is creating a lot of smoke! |
| We arrived on time in Silverton (though I doubt if anyone on the train actually cared about the timetable!) and most of our fellow passengers rushed into town for lunch and some shopping. We watched the train being turned and then saw the second train coming into the station. During high season this is a busy railroad! |  |
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Two more shots in Silverton:
<<< Here is the second train leaving with #480 in control >>> Another shot of #480 with the Durango bound afternoon train |
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Links and FAQs
The following link is recommended for those planning to visit the Durango & Silverton. Any special tips?
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