DURANGO AND SILVERTON NARROW GUAGE RAILROAD, COLORADO

I had heard so much about this railroad as a ‘must see’ in this area that we all decide to go on it. We opt for the parlor car where we can observe the passing scenery from armchairs and be waited on by the train attendant. Rough!

This railroad is a 45-mile extension of track that was constructed by the Denver and Rio Grande Railway run by General William Jackson Palmer in 1881-82. Narrow gauge means there is three3 feet between the rails instead of the four feet eight-and-a-half inches found in standard gauge rail. Narrow gauge was chosen for this length of track because it allows the train to take sharp curves better, it weighs less and it can be installed faster and with lower costs. It also operates with lighter, less expensive equipment.

The track is squeezed between the rocky cliffs on one side and the thousand feet drop-off on the other. We are glad that it takes sharper curves well as we look over the edge to the stream far below.. On some curves the train almost doubles back on itself. The attendant assures us that they have never lost a train over the edge---except for the time a landslide knocked an engine and car into the abyss below.

The coal-fired steam engine spews heavy black smoke and cinders, discouraging open windows. Chunks of coal litter along the tracks where they have fallen from the fireman’s frenetic stoking of the furnace. In the dry summer weather, the train is followed by a small jitney that scans the tracks for possible fires started by the hot cinders.

In the lowlands, we pass the Baker Bridge where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made their final jump. We spot a herd of elk in a cow pasture where they have spent the winter sharing the farmer’s hay. Further on we startle a family of deer with several does, fawns and even a five-point buck.

After a leisurely day, we are back at the Durango Depot that is the original structure that was built while the line was being constructed. We have enjoyed our time in the Four Corners area and especially the companionship of Jan and Sally but Zoe’s ribs are still very painful and I am still very weak and can’t walk much. We realize that we are in no shape to continue our planned itinerary of the long trip to Washington State and back again. We decide to head back to Arizona to rest and heal. We regretfully say goodbye to Jan and Sally as they continue on to Washington State. Zoe will fly up for her grandson’s graduation and I will fly up in July to see my kids. Sometimes you just have to slow down.