D&SNGR

 All Aboard the Historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad!

She is 143 years old, but you wouldn't know it to look at her. She's had some work done, of course, (her hair is colored black) but she can still rock and roll! She follows the narrow path (even if it's not always straight), and she blows off steam every now and then. She's now environmentally friendly unlike in her youth. She also likes to shoot rainbows across the gorge to the delight of her admirers. Oh, and she "toots" on a regular basis, but coming from her, it's actually OK. 

Our very own gal, #482

Our gal ferried us from Durango to Silverton, Colorado with only a few water stops which she needed to keep steamin' along. We followed the Animas River, through pine forest, aspen groves, towering spruce, and a few meadows with an occasional deer. And at the higher elevations, rocks. Lots of rocks. 

Early in the trip to Silverton there were a lot of pines.

Many of these boulders would be underwater in the spring.

As the elevation increased, the narrow gauge railroad cut through some rocky areas.

One of the water stops along the way.
The train received about 3500 gallons of water needed to fuel the steam power.

Right outside my window!

The Animas River is waay down there!

High Bridge, a wrought-iron beauty built in 1880 over a gorge, was a "high" light, as the engineer blew steam sideways out of the bottom of the engine, creating a rainbow over the gorge. 

Shooting rainbows over the gorge.

Other fun facts:

The "jump scene" from the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" was filmed along our route. The problem is we took so many photos I can't remember which one it is. 

The Tall Timber is a resort part way up the line, zip lines included. As the train chugged by, a gal zipped upside down alongside, waving and cheering. Several passengers disembarked here, ready for a day of fun. On the return trip, a 20-something boarded the train at the resort, and rode the train to a stop near his home. He spent the summer working at the resort, and was helping out during a busy weekend. Nice kid, he waved as the train left him off at his stop until we couldn't see him anymore. 

Lots of people, in fact, waved as the train steamed by. One lady, stopped in her truck at the RR crossing, waved and smiled. How do we handle waiting at a crossing for a train? 

Finally, here are some of my favorite pics of the Animas River and our journey.  

I was hanging out the window, trying not to drop my phone.

Fall color

The Dave Wave