Durango & Silverton: Doubleheader Service to Silverton

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The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is one of the most well known and most popular tourist railroads in North America, and a must-visit destination for any railfan of any caliber. With a breathtakingly scenic 45-mile line between the old mining towns of Durango to the south and Silverton to the north, the former Denver, Rio Grande & Western San Juan Extension snakes its way along the Animas River, where in some parts the railroad is the only form of access outside of hiking. After numerous setbacks since the 2019 season, with the outbreak of the Coronavirus and a bridge washout, trains have triumphantly returned to Silverton. 2021, however, has brought severe drought conditions to the state of Colorado, resulting in the Durango & Silverton utilizing their entire current oil fired ex- D&RGW 2-8-2 "Mikado" roster to pull the fully booked 15-car trains to Silverton, including recently converted K-28 #473, recently converted K36 #480, and K37 #493, which was the first engine on the roster to be converted. This also included welcoming back ex-Southern Pacific 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" #18 to assist in helper service over the steep grades. While coal is not currently in the plan to be ousted by the Durango & Silverton, the all-oil fired operations are a sign that it will eventually occur in the future. On the bright side it's a welcome sight to see a slight change in appearance to these classic locomotives, and almost daily doubleheader service on the entire line through the Animas River Valley. And with that, I hope you enjoy this exciting video brought to you by Blue Comet Productions!


This video was filmed June 21st to 23rd, 2021