This railroad line was originally constructed to haul silver and gold ore, freight and passengers from the San Juan Mountains. The train has been in continuous operation between Durango and Silverton since 1882.
Train
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| Durango Train Depot |
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| Waiting to Board the Train |
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| The Train Car I Rode In |
A steam powered locomotive pulled about a dozen cars along the canyon carved by the Animas River. I rode in the car immediately behind the locomotive.
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| Steam Engine 493 |
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| Backing Up to Couple with the Train Cars |
We stopped a total of three times along the way to fill up on water. Occasionally the engineer vented the system which released clouds of steam out and along the trailing cars.
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| The Train Navigates Through the Trees |
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| The Train during a Water Stop |
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| The Train Slowly Navigates a Sharp Curve |
The coupling between the locomotive and my car creaked often and the train cars swayed back and forth continually on the narrow-gauge tracks.
Animas River
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| Animas River |
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| The River and Train Seen through a Release of Steam |
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| Animas River with a Mountain Backdrop |
The locomotive and its chugging, the train cars and their rattling, and the whistle blowing its warning all signaled our progress. I'm sure the sound echoed off the canyon walls in places.
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| Tree-Lined River |
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| The River Got Muddier the Further North We Traveled |
Many people, from those in Durango to residents in their backyards to campers, hikers, and backpackers along the route, stopped to wave or take video and photos.
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| Animas River Flows through a Narrowed Point in the Canyon |
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| The River in the Canyon Below |
San Juan Mountains
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| Rocky Gray Mountain |
The weather mostly ranged from cloudy to light rain which often made it difficult to get good photographs. Our arrival in Silverton was met with lightning and thunder, then a little bit of hail, all followed by a steady downpour.
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| Mist Between the Mountain and the Trees |
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| Mist Blankets the Mountain |
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| Mountain with a Tuft of Mist |
I saw some elk, deer, ducks, and turkeys although most were either some distance away or were making haste away from the noisy train.
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| Mountain Above Silverton with a Dusting of Snow |
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| Higher Peak Shows Recent Snowfall |
Other Features
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| Sometimes the Space between the Train and the Mountainside was Very Narrow |
Despite the uncooperative weather, it was an enjoyable ride with much beautiful scenery to see.
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| Waterfalls Came Suddenly and Were Difficult to Photograph |
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| Beautiful Mountain Lake |
The experience also made me a bit nostalgic as it reminded me of the C.W. McCall song, "The Silverton", from the 1970s. Although it's a bit campy, it's also entertaining in its description of the train and its route. If you've never heard it or forgotten it, you can listen to the song on YouTube.
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