Northbound Silverton Mixed at Whitehead Gulch. Denver & Rio Grande Western K-37 #493 hauls her Silverton Mixed Train north past Whitehead Gulch (MP 491.95), some 5 miles from her ultimate destination: The end of track at 12th & Blair Street in downtown Silverton, CO.
This scene is quite typical of the northern 25 mile stretch of what is today the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The tracks run close to and just a few feet above the Animas River, and there are steep canyon walls on either side of the river. During the spring and again during Colorado's monsoon season, this geography is prone to floods, as well as rock and mud slides. Keeping this line open has been a challenge for railroad crews ever since the line was built in the 1880s. At least today, the railroad has heavy construction equipment...excavators and the like.....which can be quickly moved to the area by rail and which make the back-breaking job of clearing slides and rebuilding track far easier than it was 130 years ago.
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.
