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 .
Photo courtesy of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
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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 ) .
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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
Photo courtesy of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad