The journey behind a historic engine chugging away traveling through the ruggedly beautiful San Juan National Forest while observing awesome mountain vistas is truly a thrill! It runs daily throughout the summer. It is a legacy that glitters in Silvertons elaborate Victorian-era architecture, reflecting the millions of dollars drawn from the earth during the mining boom of the late 1800s to early 1900s. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, often abbreviated as the D&SNG, is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railroad that operates on 45.2 mi (72.7 km) of track between Durango and Silverton, in the U.S. state of Colorado.The railway is a federally-designated National Historic Landmark and was also designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a National Historic Civil . 473, 476, 480, 481, 482 and 493 are all operational. The Casey Jones was restored and is owned by the San Juan Historical Society[23] in Silverton Colorado. There is an employee that walks around sharing information along the route. We wish we had done the narrow gauge to Cascade Canyon and back. All Aboard! The K-28s have 28,000lbf (124.550kN). Since 2016, No. New firemen sometimes have a hard time learning this, because the art of "reading" a fire takes time to learn and the amount of time working on the K-28 class locomotives is much-reduced compared to the railroad's usual K-36 workhorses, which have a larger firebox and are more forgiving in technique. The D&SNG Trains. Site developed by Agency Tourism Marketing, Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose #5 Excursions, K-28 100th Anniversary Fall Photo Special, Ghost Crawl: Haunted Durango Train Museum Experience. Browse different rides & seasonal events. Around 1941, 315 made its way to Durango and became a yard switcher. The route is varied throughout the year and offers both winter excursions and summer excursions. The line was an extension of the D&RG 3ft (914mm) narrow-gauge line from Antonito, Colorado, to Durango. Valuation Survey was inventorying the entire railroad property after it was returned to the D&RGW after World War 1. Tripadvisor gives a Travelers Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor. Several folks did what you are thinking. 5 was built with a 1928 Pierce-Arrow limousine body and running gear, and was rebuilt in 1946-47 using a World War II surplus GMC gasoline truck engine and a Wayne Corporation school bus body. This results in the draft being forced through the fire bed in the thinner areas towards the flue sheet, which usually is hindered by the lack of draft between the grates and the arch brick. In 1924 it was converted into a parlor-smoker car. Included in the sale were former D&RGW locomotives and rolling stock that had not seen service in Durango for many years. The train stops a couple times to let off or on hikers which I did not know about. You can only buy a certain number of tickets. All Aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad! Yes, give them a call. I recommend the Cascade Canyon trip. It is a National Historic Landmark as well as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. So, book a ticket to ride on this historic railway and see some of the most stunning wilderness that Colorado has to offer! Silverton steam train runs from May 7 - October 29. One way was plenty. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, often abbreviated as the D&SNG, is a 3 ft narrow-gauge heritage railroad that operates on 45.2 mi of track between Durango and Silverton, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The train operates on different schedules seasonally and sometimes there are even exciting events taking place on board or in Silverton. The Casey Jones railbus was built in 1915 out of a Model T and is a debatable predecessor of the Galloping Goose. If youre driving in Colorado, you can find current road conditions by visiting the CO Department of Transportations Web site at COTrip.org K-37 steam locomotive #493 on display before its restoration to operation, Silverton, October 2012. What restaurants are near Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum? Placed on display at the D&SNG Museum from 1999 to 2016. Are there plug ins on the train for people who have portable oxygen? The price of a ticket also includes admission to the D&SNGRR Museum and the . Built originally as a mining line, the scenic value of the Durango and Silverton was quickly recognized in passenger service. All six operable locomotives had been inside at the time and were damaged, but not beyond repair. The fun doesnt have to stop here, with easy access to hiking and mountain biking trails in the Uncompahgre and Weminuche Wilderness areas you have access toan abundance of alpine lakes, waterfalls, and fields of wildflowers. Two departures daily from the Durango Depot: the diesel train departure at 8:00 am; the steam departure at 9:00 am. 127 is now used as a movie theater in the museum. Join us for a winter excursion on the Cascade Canyon Winter Train! I believe you can go one way to Silverton then purchase a bus ticket back. Then the D&RGW realized that it was larger than another combination car 212. You can find more information about the Durango train and Durango train rides here on our site. Considering Train from Durango to Silverton and the coach bus option back from Silverton to Durango. 473 has been converted to an oil burner and is operational. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, often abbreviated as the D&SNG, is a 3 ft (914mm) narrow-gauge heritage railroad that operates on 45.2mi (72.7km) of track between Durango and Silverton, in the U.S. state of Colorado. Our Durango and Silverton passenger set comes complete with: 2-8-0 locomotive and tender with operating headlight, open excursion car, old-time combine car, old-time coach car, 47 x 38 oval of snap-fit E-Z track, power pack, and speed controller. In the Silverton depot are local artifacts. Glide along the track past the dense forests, rocky ridges and rushing rivers of the Colorado back country. Both cars were built as general passenger cars to help with the increase in passengers. In 1928 and 1930, ten of the C-41s boilers were used to build the Rio Grande's K-37 class of steam locomotive. Then, in July, 1998, the railroad was sold again, to American Heritage Railways. The running gear on the locomotives also tend to wear out faster than the ALCO-designed K-28s, and the resulting pounding and rough ride can take a toll on the engine crew. The scenery is majestic (especially if you sit on the right side of the train) with the train going around cliffs with tracks very close to the edge. It was scrapped for parts thereafter; however, some accessories, running and valve gear were salvaged and used on other locomotives. 483, which had not seen operation in several years. Cost of ticket for Durango to Silverton train ride, We did the regular ticket and it was about $50 per person, Difference between steam and diesel trains, Not a big difference in riding experience. It has a hydraulic lift for passengers in wheelchairs. Today it is the oldest private railroad coach still in service in the United States. It was then bought by D&RG and became No. This is an option offered on their website. Available seven days a week from May 22 - October 31. Athearn, Robert G. "Rebel of the Rockies" Yale University Press 1962. pp. For this reason, the D&SNG traded #497 to the C&TSRR in exchange for K-36 class #482. Currently out of service. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. At the time, American Heritage Railways was headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida. Children under the age of 4 not occupying a seat ride for free with the exception of some special events. Or maybe just go to Cascade Canyon and back. However, its always good to be prepared for rain or snow any time of year! The 480 series, or "K-36" class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type locomotives, were ten engines designed for the D&RGW. Its modern amenities include internet service and a twenty-inch flat paneled television. It's called Durango, a little town nestled in the Animas canyons and . Silverton Take the railroad into this old mining town next door. But, we had a bit of trouble with reservations for the type car we wanted, as our grandson is under 21. The Prospector features comfortable table and chair style seating. The name comes from the fact that the first significant use of the type was a series built by Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Japanese Railways in 1887. Finally, it was bought by Dan Markoff and restored to operating condition. Find the most current Durango train schedule by clicking below. The Durango Silverton Train system is a narrow gauge railed. It was given number 313, because it resembled the Silver Vista. There was a book available but for $10 but I feel as though they really could have made the experience worth the $$ If they narrated the ride. In July 1881, the Denver & Rio Grande reached Durango and started building the final 45-mile stretch up the Animas River to Silverton. 478 is placed on display in the D&SNG Museum awaiting an overhaul in the distant future. 493 was shifted around a few times on the railroad on display a few times, last ending up in the Silverton yard until May 4, 2016, when #493 was hauled to Durango from Silverton by K-36 #481. [+ More] 3206 N Main Ave Suite #1, Durango, CO 81301. When the D&RGW abandoned the line to Durango, 315 was donated to the Chamber of Commerce in 1968. Of course, there are always those couple of people who feel the rules don't apply to them so it is up to you to steer clear of those, if I dare to say it, idiots. The Fairplay has hosted Presidents William H Taft, Ulysses S Grant and Theodore Roosevelt. The original northsouth plans of the D&RG eventually expanded to include extensions throughout the booming mining country of central and southwestern Colorado. Throughout the year this space is available to rent for your special occasion! It could seat 32 people and had a 300-horsepower (220kW) six-cylinder Caterpillar engine. Not even once or twice. Make your experience even more memorable by adding an overnight stay to your Silverton excursion. Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go. Prospector: January 8 - April 3, April 24 - May 6Red Mountain: March 4 - May 6Cinco Animas: January 8 - January 30Knight Sky: January 1 - April 23Yankee Girl: January 1 - February 27, April 9 - May 6Alamosa: February 5 - May 6. The Durango Silverton train ride journey is available on over 300 days of the year and it departs from Durango, Colorado with a round trip, full day excursion. 3. You dont even have to go on a trip. In the winter of 20062007 it was again rebuilt into an open air observation car with comfortable and large overstuffed seats for a more expansive view. They were later dismantled for scrap in 1946. We will pass fertile farmlands, old stagecoach roads, the breathtaking Highline, the remote Tacoma Power Plant, old mining camps, and be in the shadow of peaks reaching over 14,000 feet, often with year-round snow! It runs daily throughout the summer. Still craving more? Both are smooth rides. Magazine. Since the swap failed to go through, the D&SNG announced in June 2016 that it was going to restore locomotive 476 to operating condition and place locomotive 478 in the museum where locomotive 476 previously sat in. The United States Transportation Corps. The train's speed is about 12 mph and you were welcomed to get up to stand at either end of the train. Site developed by Agency Tourism Marketing, Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose #5 Excursions, K-28 100th Anniversary Fall Photo Special, Ghost Crawl: Haunted Durango Train Museum Experience, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. [citation needed]. 2:45 pm. It was converted to a coach-snack bar by the D&RGW in 1963 then reconverted in 1979 to a coach. It is pulled to Cascade Canyon Wye for elegant camping. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. In March 1981, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) sold the line and the D&SNG was formed. With this effort, "The Painted Train" officially started a new era of tourism that continues to this day. And we wished we had investigated other options. We want to see the views from the train, but a 9 hr day and 7 hrs of sitting still does not sound like our "style". Operations for the Animas River Railway were run out of Rockwood. 476 and 478 saw an extensive service on the San Juan passenger train, which ran between Durango, Colorado and Alamosa, Colorado until 1951. McCall.[26]. 486 at Royal Gorge Park, including the tender from #498. Silverton steam train runs from May 7 - October 29. The last point of highway access between Durango and Silverton is the Rockwood Station. The K represents the nickname "Mikado" that describes a locomotive with two non-powered, pivoting wheels in front of eight driving wheels, which are connected to driving rods powered by the engine's pistons and finally two non-powered trailer wheels located under the cab. We enhance vitality, evolve one's spirit and plant a fire of opportunity in one's . With the high elevation and brilliant sunshine,we recommend youhave a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen handy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById('copyright').appendChild(document.createTextNode(new Date().getFullYear())) Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. 119 was built in 1882. We booked a 9 AM steam engine train in an open air gondola car. I would definitely do the train trip again, but next time do the one way trip. 1. The train journey offers incredible scenic views such as Horseshoe Curve, High Bridge, and all of the Animas River Gorge giving you an unforgettable Rocky Mountains experience.