All Aboard! Durango to Silverton Train Ride

 

A government shutdown and flooding in Colorado may have caused us to tweak our vacation plans a bit. But we made the best of things. (We are farmers: You learn to roll with the punches.) We traveled to Colorado (via a Garden City detour - more on that later) from October 13 to 20.

We knew before we left home that Randy's guided tour of the Mesa Verde National Park cliff dwellings would be scratched - unless there was a miraculous end to the government shutdown. There wasn't. 

However, we didn't know about the aftermath of flooding in southwest Colorado. Our hotel didn't have water the first night. However, the restaurant we visited - Steamworks Brewing Co. - did. So it could have been worse!  

Our tickets were for riding the train from Durango to Silverton. However, flooding impacted the tracks, so our trip was condensed from Durango to Cascade. And while that could have been disappointing, we realized how lucky we were: We were the first group of passengers to be able to travel on the Durango-Silverton train at all that week. Some of the passengers the previous Saturday had to be bussed back to Durango. 

Taken at the turnaround point at Cascade

The train trip ended up being our vacation highlight, despite the abbreviated route.  

 

Durango was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1880. The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881, and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882, the tracks to Silverton were complete, and the train began hauling both passengers and freight.

 

From the very beginning, the railroad was promoted as a scenic route for passenger service, although the line was constructed primarily to haul mine both gold and silver from the San Juan Mountains. It is estimated that more than $300 million in precious metals has been transported over this route.

Though there was some drizzle and even rain during our trip, the railroad certainly proved its reputation as a scenic route. 

 These were some of the scenes from the windows as we made our way toward Cascade.

The sun also made an appearance, enhancing the fall colors along the roaring Animas River. 

 

The narrow gauge track out of Silverton was laid in 1887. In 1893, 10 large mines in the Silverton district were forced to close when silver prices dropped from $1.05 an ounce to 63 cents an ounce. Just three years later the Yankee Girl and Guston Mines played out. In Durango, the fire of 1889 virtually destroyed downtown. The first automobile arrived by train in 1902. By 1906, Mesa Verde was designated a National Park, increasing the potential for tourism promotions.

However, by 1947, the Silverton branch was in danger of being abandoned. Then Hollywood discovered Durango and the railroad. During the next 10 years, several movies were filmed in the area showcasing the train: Ticket to Tomahawk, Across the Wide Missouri, Denver & Rio Grande, Viva Zapata and Around the World in 80 Days.

 

These scenes could be out of a western movie, right? This was the Horseshoe Curve, but we also traveled over the High Bridge and the Animas River Gorge. We also saw workers shoring up the train tracks during our travels. 

 

 

During the latter part of the 1960s, the Durango-Silverton was registered as a National Historic Landmark. In 1969 the railroad abandoned the tracks south of Durango, isolating the line and leaving the future of the line in question. Hollywood continued its fascination with the area and the railroad with the filming of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. As the railroad prepared to celebrate its 100th birthday, Charles E. Bradshaw, Jr. purchased the Silverton branch and with the restoration process complete, engine #481 returned to service after 20 years in retirement.

The passengers ride in the restored train cars, giving a glimpse of nostalgia from years gone by.   

 

Throughout the 1980s, the railroad continued to build on the scenic tourist railroad industry. In 1985 the railroad purchased the Silverton Depot, returning it to service. By 1986 there were four trains running to Silverton with a fifth running to Cascade Canyon Wye.

Because of the flooding, our train took us to Cascade.

 

They even had a fire lit there.

At Cascade, we were able to get off the train and wander around for about an hour, before leaving to go back to Durango.

 

 

It gave us a little closer look at the swollen river and the beauty all around us. 

The train route takes passengers into the Rocky Mountains with views of the San Juan National Forest.

Today the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad continues to provide year-round train service, operating a historic train. The locomotives used to pull today’s train are either oil-fired or coal-fired steam-operated and diesel. The steam locomotives are 1923-25 vintage. 

The coaches each feature bathroom facilities and are heated during the winter months. Open gondola cars provide a panoramic view of the mountains. We were in a closed car, but were able to open the windows, if we wanted. The Durango & Silverton is owned and operated by American Heritage Railways. 

We recommend it.