Make old timey memories on board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

you’re able to take theHogwarts Expressthrough Scotland , or theOrient Expressfrom Paris to Istanbul , but only in the Rocky Mountains of Southwestern Colorado can you get on a vintage train that ’s been chug its elbow room through the San Juan National Forest — drag both rider and mine ore — since the nineteenth century . The appeal of the historicDurango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad , one of very few trains in the Carry Nation to systematically use steam locomotives , is n’t magical ormurder mysteries . It ’s the retentiveness you ’ll make while enjoyingkiller viewsof the roaring Animas River , slow forest as far as the eye can see , and picture - stark plenty towns on the face of it preserved in time from a bygone Gold Rush era .

Now a National Historic Landmark , and operating out of the same train depot since July of 1882 , a drive on this timeworn train feels like a blast from the gilded past , in which miners would use it to transport gold and flatware from the mountains into the burgeon townsfolk ofDurango , Colorado . Said town , now an endearingly frontiersy mountain hub trace with saloons and western vesture shops , was founded by the Denver and Rio Grande Railway in 1880 , fueled by more than $ 300 million worth of pile metallic element that have cross its rail . Today , while the Gold Rush has give up , that same railway system still reigns as a foremost attraction in Durango . It ’s anchored by the same classic storehouse since mean solar day one , whisk pensive rider through the high - elevation forest for daytime trips and extra issue .

In causa you were enquire , the “ Narrow Gauge ” part of the railway ’s name look up to the three - foot breadth of its tracks , which make it easier to take sharper curve in mountainous terrain . The train maneuver yr - pear-shaped , offering abridge outings to Cascade Canyon during the winter months ( due to natural limitation from snow and ice out in the wild ) , an adorablePolar Express selection — complete with hot cocoa and Santa sighting — during the holiday , and orotund - trip excursions to Silverton ( some 45 miles away ) during the peak summer time of year . All routes and train cars have their own vibe and flavor , with attendants on tariff to talk about history , show out geographical highlights , and make dad jest .

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Photo courtesy of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Arizona’s Scenic Wine Country Has Train Rides & Wild West Vibes

Vines and views in the historic Verde Valley.

If you decide to devolve on , there are four different classes of service to choose from . Presidential Class offers glamorous priggish - style interior decoration , gratis morning pastries , and an outdoor catch platform from the Cinco Animas gondola , while First Class choice include riding in the Yankee Girl with its polished mahogany woodwork and tin cap panels , the glassful - domed Silver Vista car for optimum views , or the Alamosa Parlor Car , which function as the caboose of the train with elegant lounge - style seating and its own private viewing weapons platform off the rear . Both Presidential and First Class cars offer bar service , with options for wine , mimosas , beer , drunken coffee , and seasonal specials . For more economical options , Deluxe Class features formal cars outfitted with gravid windows and grimace - to - fount plush seats , and Standard Class options let in bus - style passenger car seats and open - air gondola car railway car . Pricing ranges from $ 279 for Presidential Class to $ 84 for Standard .

Most Durango and Silverton drive start early in the morning ( normally around 9 am in the wintertime months and 8 am in the summertime ) , as crowds descend upon the original train depot in business district Durango , behind the equally historicStrater Hotel . They ’re greet by clouds of steam and the auditory sensation of conductors shouting , “ Allllll aboard ! ” like something from Platform Nine and Three - Quarters . Once passengers check out in at their designated railway car and everyone is snugly on board , the train slowly chugs its elbow room out of town and up into the Rocky Mountains , criss - crossing the Animas River over bridges and into Cascade Canyon , preceding drop-off whereButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidfilmed , around the spectacular Horseshoe Curve ( get your camera ready and open your windows for some of the most iconic pic along the itinerary ) .

The Wild West Meets ‘Game of Thrones’ on This Revitalized New Mexico Railway

Dragons and wolves ride the rails through the desert to Santa Fe.

Along the way , each gondola ’s attendant chimes in on historical fact , like the fact that most of the engines have long since pitch from coal fire to vegetable oil - fired , how the steam locomotives all engagement back to the former 1920s , and how extra trains have been added to the tracks to accommodate increased touristry . passenger are free to amble within their railroad car and footstep outdoors onto fenced viewing platforms if they have one . Cascade Canyon trips typically last around five and a one-half time of day , with a stop in the canyon where passengers can get outdoors to snap photos of the raging river and the oft - snow-covered forest , or cluster up for a outing ; all gondola have concessions available for leverage , and client can also pre - grade boxed tiffin with basic like turkey sandwiches , cooky , and chips .

Peak time of year , though , is all about the scenic rotund - trip dangerous undertaking that give way all the way to Silverton , a town lined with old inns and vintage saloons that seem right out of a John Wayne movie , where passengers can search , dine , and shop on a two - hour stop . It ’s a route that ’s been in continuous operation since 1882 , and while the mining of mountain ore has long ebb off , it ’s an experience that rightfully whisks invitee away to a bygone geological era . The trip-up is an all - day amour — about three and a one-half hours each way , plus the extra layover .

No matter the path , the metre of year , or the class of car you select , there ’s something singularly special about a journeying aboard the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad , a steam - power gash of Americana that feels more like a nostalgic time automobile than a typical train . You wo n’t require to miss your chance to chuga - chug back into the past tense , if only for a day .

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Arizona’s Scenic Wine Country Has Train Rides & Wild West Vibes

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Photo courtesy of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

The Wild West Meets ‘Game of Thrones’ on This Revitalized New Mexico Railway

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad