Riding the Durango-Silverton train

Durango, Colorado, in the Four Corners area, has a long railroad history. In fact, the city was founded by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1880 for mining purposes, and the railroad arrived the following year. Today, the city is still known for railroads — specifically, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. 

Narrow gauge means the rails are about 3 feet, 6 inches apart. As a result, they can maneuver tighter curves than their standard gauge counterparts (4 feet, 8.5 inches apart), making them ideal for mountainous areas. Although most narrow gauge railroads in the U.S. have ended operations, a couple of them are still in service for passenger rides. The Durango and Silverton is one of them. The White Pass and Yukon Route in Alaska is the other. 
 
While journeying across Southern Colorado, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go back in time and experience the railroad in Durango. Here’s what it was like to ride the Durango-Silverton train.

Climbing aboard

Since the train line isn’t open to Silverton until early May, and we were in Durango in April, we opted for the five-hour Cascade Canyon round trip. Not knowing if we’d ever be in Durango again, we splurged for a first-class car, which gave us each a window seat with a wooden table between us, complimentary soft drinks, a breakfast muffin, souvenir cups, and a tote bag.

After getting our fifth wheel situated at the La Plata County Fairgrounds (for much cheaper than a campground in the area), we nestled in for the night, eager for our adventure the next day. 
 
We arrived a half hour early for our 9:15 a.m. departure time, parked, and followed volunteers’ guidance across the railroad tracks to get our first glimpse of the train. Heat emanated from engine 482, and white smoke floated into the bright blue sky. We snapped some photos, boarded our car, and settled into 20th-century luxury.

The interior decor beckoned back to the 1880s: wooden beams and tables, padded wooden chairs, wire racks above our heads for luggage, a wooden counter, and a uniformed attendant who served us and shared stories about the train and the experience we were about to embark on.

Chugging along

Two long, loud whistles sounded from the engine, and the train chugged into action, moving slowly as we meandered through town, passing people waving and taking pictures. The car moved back and forth, feeling less stable than a B-25 WWII bomber, as it followed the Animas River, offering beautiful views. 

The curvy, climbing route ascended through the San Juan Mountains, part of the Rocky Mountain Range, as the train rocked to and fro. The smell of burning oil from the engine drifted through the open windows, which offered breathtaking views of steep cliff faces, deep canyons, and the winding river.

Letting off steam

One long whistle burst from the engine as the train slowed to a stop to refill its water supply. A few minutes and whistles later, the train roared back into action. 

After a couple of hours, we had navigated 26 miles and climbed about 1,500 feet in elevation to the Cascade Wye, where the train stopped moving and then backed up to get into position to take us back down to Durango. It came to a complete halt and let all 200 passengers off to wander the expansive area and enjoy lunch while the crew recharged. 

The destination gave us opportunities to capture more pictures with the train, this time in a mountain setting. We ambled away from the group to the rushing river and basked in its peaceful burbling, the wind in our faces. We lingered there, exploring the variety of colorful rocks. 

​After trekking to the last of the 16 train cars, we noticed a wooden pedestrian bridge spanning the river and hurried toward it for a different perspective on the location, which featured fire pits and picnic tables.

Contented, we slowly worked our way back to the train, not wanting to get left behind. Although we found the area inviting, we had been warned that the next train wouldn’t arrive until the following day. 

Backtracking

We returned to our seats about five minutes before the engineer blasted the train’s whistle to warn passengers that we were about to depart.

Since the train had made an about face, the journey back into town highlighted different scenery. We traded stunning glimpses of canyons and valleys for close-ups of craggy rocks that nearly hugged the train in places. 

​We walked to the deck on the back of our car to experience the outside views for a bit before settling in for the duration. The way down the mountains offered different sensations as the couplers between train cars jerked from slack to taut. Still, we enjoyed the excursion into the valley and the captivating scenery it provided.

After two hours of descent, the train reached the end (er, beginning?) of the line and pulled back into the Durango station. We exited our car grateful that we had taken advantage of the opportunity to embark on such an amazing adventure. 

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