The last of the breed. Our American way of life was built by these machines. They were the first creations of the hands of man that could move at will under their own power. They helped save our fragile nation from a brutal Civil War. They facilitated our westward expansion from the Atlantic to the Pacific and then made it possible to travel between the two in days instead of weeks and months. They went on to become the lifeblood of the industrial revolution, which took us from the stone age to the space age in 100 years. The United States of America was literally built by wood-burning, 4-4-0 locomotives that appropriately came to be known as "Americans" themselves. There are a just a few of them left now. Most are stuffed and mounted. You can count the ones that are still operable on the fingers of one hand. If you'd like to experience what it was like to ride behind one....well, you're pretty much looking at your options right here. This narrow gauge Baldwin, built in 1875 is the last one that still runs occasional wilderness excursions with paying passengers. Known simply as "Eureka", this engine is a national treasure and she's once again scheduled to run excursions on the Durango & Silverton in the summer of 2011. If you've ever wanted to experience what 19th century travel was like, make tracks for Colorado while the opportunity still exists. She won't be around forever and she's indeed the last of her kind.
