Silverton Mixed. A D&RGW Mixed Train drifts south along the Animas River en route from Silverton to Durango. The train is about a mile north of the Needleton Tank and is crossing the site of one of the many rock and mud slides that have plagued the Silveron Branch through its 130 years of operation. Although most photos of the contemporary Durango & Silverton tourist trains depict the hefty K-36 Locomotives, the little C-18 Consolidation that you see here is much more typical of the size and weight of the locomotives for which this line was originally built and which handled the trains for much of its history.
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.