Now arriving from Durango....The Sil-ver-ton! It's just past noon and Train 462, the second of two daily departures from Durango is passing the 1882-vintage D&RGW depot in Silverton, Colorado. Although it's a beautiful period building, and it does house a railroad ticket office as well as some very interesting memorabilia.....the trains don't actually stop here. Instead, the trains continue on about another quarter of a mile, stopping right in the middle of a street in the heart of downtown. Since most of the passengers are focused on browsing the multitude of shops and finding something for lunch, it is unfortunate, but few ever get to see this depot, or experience what it's like to stand on the wooden platform, and watch a vintage steam train come roaring through.
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.