Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
|Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad|
|Dates of operation||1881 – present|
|Track gauge||3 ft (914 mm)|
The trackage was originally built between 1881 and 1882, by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, in order to carry silver and gold ore mined in the San Juan Mountains. The line was an extension of the D&RG narrow gauge from Antonito, Colorado to Durango. The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad operates the line from Antonito to Chama, New Mexico. The line from Chama to Durango has been abandoned and removed. The line from Durango to Silverton, however, has run continuously since 1881, although it is now a tourist and heritage line hauling passengers, and is one of the few places in the United States which has seen continuous use of steam locomotives. In March 1981, the Denver & Rio Grande Western sold the line and the D&SNG was formed.
The trains are hauled by coal-fired Baldwin steam locomotives built in the 1920s, while some of the rolling stock dates to the 1880s. The trains run from Durango to the Cascade Wye in the winter months and run from Durango to Silverton during the summer months. Museums in Durango and Silverton house some of the historic locomotives and railway equipment of this narrow gauge line.
The train was made more famous in the song The Silverton, by C.W. McCall.
The D&S was a featured locale in the 1950 Technicolor western movie A Ticket to Tomahawk. (IMDB link). This film's spectacular scenery and machinery was not obscured by a noticeable plot, but was complemented by a brief bit-player appearance by Marilyn Monroe. The film is out of print as of August 2006.
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Railways in Colorado