All aboard the Durango & Silverton narrow gauge railroad train.
When my friend’s mother hears I’m planning a trip out west with a stopover in Durango, she tells me I should take a day to ride the narrow gauge train. She had just been with her brother and said it’s a beautiful ride. I booked it that day.
The Durango & Silverton narrow gauge railroad was originally built to haul mine ores from the San Juan Mountains, though it was promoted as a scenic route for passenger service as well. And after many ups and downs it was registered as a National Historic Landmark in the 1960s. The railroad has also had its moments in Hollywood, having been featured in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The stunt performed in the film was done by a brakeman on the very train depicted.
We check out of the Strater hotel in the morning and repark the car before walking to the station. We’re early and so we wander to the nearby bagel shop where I have the best bagel I have had in a while. We eat at a table in front of the shop, watching as lines of people form and dissipate, bagels and coffee in hand.
As our departure time nears, we walk back over to the station in time to watch the previous train depart. Attendants wave at the passengers as the train pulls out of the station, and train enthusiasts photograph the proceedings.
As we wait to embark on our own train I fall into conversation with Sean, our guide and attendant. He’s been in Durango for a few years and loves the town and working on the train. It’s an opportunity to meet people and an opportunity to take advantage of the outdoors. His sister keeps trying to get him to move back to Chicago; he probably will eventually, but for now he’s happy where he is.
As we continue talking he reveals he’s also a musician and music producer. More guests arrive before I can ask him where to find his music but I promise to get his information before the end of the trip.
After a few more last minute checks, we are called all aboard. The theme song to the film Silverado plays as the train whistles then pulls ahead. The song brings back memories; my brother and I used to quote Danny Glover back and forth to each other when we were kids: “I don’t want to kill you and you don’t want to be dead.”
Children and adults wave to us as we pass through town, working our way towards the mountains. One of the brakemen is training a new recruit and I watch as he teaches him when and how to signal to the conductor as we pass various checkpoints.
We leave the town behind. For a while we follow the highway and then veer away into the mountains. I stand outside, between the cars, and follow the path of a tourist bus as it races the train towards Silverton. A number of people on the train are here for the ride up; the bus will take them to their next destination.
We wind our way up towards Silverton on tracks sometimes carved into the mountains themselves. Sean keeps a running commentary, speaking on the history of the railroad while pointing out various sights. It’s all lost to me where I’m standing, but I hear other passengers sharing the details as they come out to stand for a bit before heading back into the train cars.
The train crosses and recrosses the Animas River as continue chugging north. Twice we stop by water towers to take on water to feed the steam engine. Each time we watch as the conductor and brakemen alight to look over the train.
Nearing Silverton we are rewarded with the most spectacular waterfall of our trip. The water cascades in a thin veil down the rocks and into the river and the view disappears behind us as quickly as it was revealed.
In Silverton, everyone alights. As we walk to the front of the train and towards main street people pause to take photos, posing in front of the engine. The weather had changed from the morning. Blue skies had turned grey and rain threatened to dampen our trip.
Silverton is not large. My friend’s mother told us that it mainly consisted of a few blocks lined with restaurants and souvenir shops. The train would stop long enough for passengers to have lunch and do some shopping.
We eat lunch at the Golden Block Brewery. Their pizza was recommended by our guide. The pizza was good; the crust thick and soft, the sauce flavorful. Afterwards, we walk the few blocks on main street. Ducking into a jewelry store we are taught about Astorite, a semiprecious stone found only in the area and named after John Jacob Astor who once owned the mine.
We walk the few blocks on the main street and then walk back to the train. With time to spare I explore the blocks around the station. In a small store sold pottery and hats I fall into conversation with the woman working there. She makes patches and sews mountain patterns onto the hats; her boyfriend makes pottery.
The storefront is carved out of the studio. A small room had been built around his wheel so that it can be heated and he can work in the winter. The kiln sits just to the back. They met while she was skiing in the area a year or two ago; she’s moved here recently.
I buy a hat from her and walk back to the train. While we were exploring the town they’ve turned it around, its engine now points towards Durango. With a few more minutes to spare, I walk the length of it, photographing its engine and carriages.
The trip back follows the same path and we’re treated to the same views in reverse. It rained while we were in Silverton and the clouds follow almost us on the way down. As we pass back through the scenery I think about how beautiful it must be in the fall, and I make a note to return if ever I’m back during that time period.
Back in Durango, people wave to us as the train passes. At the station, we gather our things and alight. It’s a short walk back to the car and we arrange ourselves and prepare to say goodbye to the town. It’s a few hours to Cortez, the next stop on our trip, and we settle in once again for the drive. 🇺🇸
