Sections and Double Headers: Spring 2022 on the Durango and Silverton

Описание: Join us as we take a trip to Durango Colorado as we follow and soar aloft and catch the famed Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad... Once a far flung part of the vast Denver and Rio Grande Western narrow gauge network (now part of the Union Pacific empire by way of the Southern Pacific merger), a network that once spaced from Denver to Salt Lake City / Ogden Utah as far south to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Meanwhile, across the Continental Divide from Durango, the other remaining portion of the narrow gauge, the Cumbres and Toltec runs as a tourist hauler as well, using the much of the same style of equipment that Durango uses.

We'll see a double headed train 463, The Second Silverton Train leave the Durango Yards with not one, but TWO ALCO (American Locomotive Company) K-28's with a fully loaded train on the 15th Street Bridge, a sight unseen since the late1990's as the bridge was re-analyzed to find it can support the weight of a mix of two Durango locomotives. We'll chase along the Hermosa Valley and catch it up to Rockwood where the locomotives are split to avoid a weight limit on the High Bridge near Tacoma. As this train was waving the green flags, we'll find a second section led by one of the larger K-36 locomotives pulling a pure train of golden coaches, a long staple of the railroad until the first class cars were painted in maroon and dotted the end of every train to head for Silverton. Next, the Cascade Canyon Express, pulled by K-36 No. 480 pulls another load of excited tourists to the railroad's halfway point at Cascade Creek, far in the canyon below the popular ski area, Purgatory (at Durango Mountain Resort).

We then jump ahead to Cataract Falls, a seasonal landmark just south of Silverton and Baker's Park. Then various scenes on and above the Animas River and Cement Creek before flying south to catch the trains headed home to Durango. Along the way, we'll catch train 464 and its second section making their way off the High Line and find another day with the 464 being pulled alone by 473 past Shalona Lake. Finally we'll end up with our last look as K-36 480 heads for the end as it leaps over Hermosa Creek.


''Go Not Gently Redux' by Jason Shaw, https://audionautix.com.

For those who want to because they don't like the music choices pulled from above and the YouTube library, you can always just listen to "The Silverton"/"Silverton Train" by C.W. McCall on an endless loop... if that kinda thing is your bag... Baby.