At a stately 5 mph, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad's Winter Train crawls along the rock ledge east of Rockwood, Colorado on its return from Cascade Canyon. If this rocky stretch of line looks like a tight fit for the mighty K-36 on the point this day, that perception is quite accurate. Historically, the old D&RG Silverton Branch was engineered for smaller and lighter Consolidation and Mikado Locomotives. When the Durango & Silverton was formed back in 1981 and the need arose for larger power to deal with the heavier tourist trains, the new operation was forced to make some changes. With the intent to operate both the K-36 and K-37 engines on this line, the rock clearances on some of the tighter stretches of the line had to be increased. In addition, the numerous Animas River Bridges between Durango and Silverton had to be beefed up to handle the higher weights. Today, the vast majority of the tourist trains operated by the D&S are indeed powered by the hefty Baldwin K-36 Locomotives, of which four are currently operational, including #482 seen here.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are all that remains of the legendary Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge system. Here you'll find some of my favorites from these two beautiful railways.
