We arose at the very early hour of 4:30 AM and after our morning preparations, drove to Denny's where I enjoyed French Toast with bacon and sausage. After a fulfilling breakfast, we drove the very short distance to the railroad's parking lot, went inside the depot and picked up our lanyards then I waited outside to photograph our train.
Photo Charter DetailsOn Saturday, we'll hit the rails with a variety of photo locations – from fan favorites to spots often not visited – capturing the unique landscape of the Durango & Silverton. As of now, the plan is to operate to Needleton (or just beyond).
For the consist, our train will feature a mix of Maintenance-of-way hoppers and flat cars loaded with supplies, creating a work train. We'll also have passenger cars and a caboose to travel in. A boxed lunch is included with
your ticket for the charter. We'll depart Durango in time to catch the first light of the day outside Rockwood and return in late afternoon. Dak Dillon welcoming us to his Durango and Silverton photo charter.
Durango and Silverton 2-8-2 K36 480, sold to Durango & Silverton and moved to Durango in 1981, built by Baldwin in 1925 and restored to operation in July 1985. It was converted to burn oil in early June 2020. The engine then reversed onto our train set. Durango and Silverton hopper car 9325, builder and year unknown. Durango and Silverton hopper car 9328, builder and year unknown. Durango and Silverton flat car 6519, built by American Car and Foundry and the railroad in 1940. Durango and Silverton flat car 6508, built by American Car and Foundry and the railroad in 1940. Denver Rio Grande and Western drop-bottom gondola 717, built by American Car and Foundry in 1904. Durango and Silverton concession car 64, originally a post office car built by the railroad in 1887. Durango and Silverton coach 257 "Shenandoah", ex. Rio Grande Southern 257, nee Denver and Rio Grande 267 built in 1880. Durango and Silverton coach 311 "McPhee", nee Denver Rio Grande and Western 87 built by Jackson and Sharp in 1881. Durango and Silverton caboose 0540 built by the railroad in 1923. The above was the complete trainset for our excursion. When we were allowed to board, Elizabeth and I chose seats in Durango and Silverton coach 311 "McPhee" then had an on-time departure a 6:00 AM and five blocks from the station,
the crossing gates were almost taken out due to a car trying to cross the tracks. Later, we took water at Hermosa then ran non-stop to Granite Rock for the first photo runby of the day. Reverse move one.
Photo runby one at Granite Rock, MP 468.75 Reverse move two. Photo runby two. We reloaded and I rode to Rockwood in the cupola of the caboose. The view from the cupola. The vista the back door of the caboose. Here at Rockwood, eight of the train chasers boarded the train and took seats in the forward coach then we went through the Rockwood Cut and out to the high line. The Rockwood station for passengers who board their train here. Entering the Rio Grande Forest signpost. The train on the high line before stopped and detrained, with half of us going with Dak and the remaining members with Bryan at his photo location. Reverse move three. Photo runby three on the High Line, MP 476.70. Reverse move four. The Las Animas River far below. Photo runby four, after which we continued. Taking on water at Tank Creek. Reverse move five. Photo runby five at the Cement Wall. We continued north to the repeating curves at Milepost 476.70. Reverse move six. Photo runby six. From here we went to the Cribbed Wall at MP 478.0. Reverse move seven. Photo runby seven at the tree tunnel, MP 483.0. We then crossed the river. Reverse move eight. Photo runby eight at river side train. We reversed to the wye at Cascade Canyon and we all gained the mileage on that wye before going to Needleton siding to meet the regular northbound train. Reverse move nine. The train ran on the mainline before it reversed and came into the Needleton siding, MP 484.0. Photo runby ten with the regular Silverton train. Our engine kept wheel-slipping as that piece of track had not been used in years and it took over half-an-hour to clear the siding. Dak then had to make a decision. If we passed
on the photo runby at No Name Creek, we could be back on schedule at the next southbound photo location, which we did. I think he made the correct decision. Almost everybody detrained for the photo line. The car in which Elizabeth and I were riding. Reverse move eleven. Photo runby eleven the Cement Wall, MP 476.50. Reverse move twelve. Photo runby twelve. We then proceeded south to the High Bridge, crossing on the Rio de Animss River at MP 471.23. Our caboose was always on the rear of our train. The trestle. Reverse move thirteen. The trestle once again. Photo runby thirteen at the High Bridge. The train then did reverse move fourteen. That trestle again. Photo runby fourteen. From here we went to the High Line, MP 469.30. Reverse move fifteen. Photo runby fifteen. Reverse move sixteen with some of the charter participants. Photo runby sixteen complete with blowdown. We walked to the cut that enters the High Line. The Animas River is far below. Photo runby seventeen. Crew member pictures; Russell Herdt, the Durango and Silverton's conductor and fellow in charge of charters, is on the left on the ground. Reverse move seventeen. Photo runby eighteen at the Rockwood Cut, MP 469.15. Photo runby nineteen. That was the last runby of the event and completes my coverage of the Dak Dillion Photo Charter on the Durango and Silverton. It was everything I had hoped for and more. Thank you first to Dak and secondly to
Bryan. Russell, our conductor, was his usual standard of excellence and worked fantastically with Dak. After our train dropped the eight passengers at Rockwood, it returned us all to to Durango. We left the parking lot and returned to the hotel for a few minutes before going to Seriously Texas Barbeque where I had chicken and Elizabeth had a pulled pork sandwich. We returned to the hotel and I finished the previous day's
story before calling it a night.
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