Eureka on the shelf. With former D&S Engineer Monty Caudle on the throttle, Eureka & Palisade #4 hauls her passenger extra across the rock shelf above Elbert Creek toward nearby Rockwood Station. When folks look at the present day pictures of Eureka, one of the most commonly asked questions is why her trains are so short. The answer is actually pretty straightforward. Although much of the rolling stock on the D&S dates back to the late 1800s, both the original construction and the modifications made over the years have made them considerably heavier than what Eureka hauled back when she was new. The wooden cars you see in this photo have more iron and steel in them than did the cars of the 1870s. As a result, the locomotive is limited on the steeper grades of the Colorado NG to about what is pictured. On flatter terrain, the train could be lengthened by a car or two. Owner Dan Markoff is actually in the process of building a "period" E&P Combine that could be displayed and even run with Eureka, but alas, the construction methods that he must use to make the car authentic will probably not be strong enough to meet current safety standards on FRA-regulated lines such as the D&S, thus the car will probably be restricted from carrying passengers.
