Riding Like In The Old West
Durango is probably best known for its authentic steam train
so of course we had to ride it!
Luckily for us we got great advice from a friend who told us that
we should definitely go on the train, but only ride one way and
be sure to get the Parlor Car - boy are we glad we heeded that
bit of wisdom.
Real steam trains are run by real coal which means real
smoke and real cinders. The parlor car was at the back of the
train and enclosed, so we did not have to worry as much about
getting covered in black soot - unlike the rest of the
passengers. It even smelled of smoke in the parlor car - we
can't imagine what it must have been like for those in the open
cars.
The train ride just down the mountain was a long one - about
three and half hours - but you can't beat that ride for scenery -
just scroll down and you'll see.
Durango is probably best known for its authentic steam train
so of course we had to ride it!
Luckily for us we got great advice from a friend who told us that
we should definitely go on the train, but only ride one way and
be sure to get the Parlor Car - boy are we glad we heeded that
bit of wisdom.
Real steam trains are run by real coal which means real
smoke and real cinders. The parlor car was at the back of the
train and enclosed, so we did not have to worry as much about
getting covered in black soot - unlike the rest of the
passengers. It even smelled of smoke in the parlor car - we
can't imagine what it must have been like for those in the open
cars.
The train ride just down the mountain was a long one - about
three and half hours - but you can't beat that ride for scenery -
just scroll down and you'll see.
Hangin' Off The End
Well we'd done it off of cliffs, why not off a train? Okay,
maybe we didn't exactly hang off, but we obviously did have
a lot of fun.
Well we'd done it off of cliffs, why not off a train? Okay,
maybe we didn't exactly hang off, but we obviously did have
a lot of fun.
The "Station" At Silverton
Just like it did a hundred years ago, the train pulls into
town down one of the bigger streets.
Just like it did a hundred years ago, the train pulls into
town down one of the bigger streets.
Smile!
Brent managed to get a smile out of engineer
- everybody who works on the railroad looks
as blackened as he does.
Brent managed to get a smile out of engineer
- everybody who works on the railroad looks
as blackened as he does.
Brent Wanted To "Catch It"
Kate of course decided to climb on board
before it started moving.
Kate of course decided to climb on board
before it started moving.
The Train And Its Tender
Here you can also see how the train just cruises right
down the middle of the street.
Here you can also see how the train just cruises right
down the middle of the street.
The Horseshoe
This shot and the one below demonstrate how long the
train is - this turn is referred to as the horseshoe - it's
spectacular because of its height above the gorge.
This shot and the one below demonstrate how long the
train is - this turn is referred to as the horseshoe - it's
spectacular because of its height above the gorge.
It's A Long Way Down
And this is a narrow-gauge train - yikes, we
wouldn't want to experience any kind of lean.
And this is a narrow-gauge train - yikes, we
wouldn't want to experience any kind of lean.
A Head Above The Rest
This was pretty much forbidden because of the fact that
most of the ride is very close to brush and cliff walls - but
we couldn't resist.
This was pretty much forbidden because of the fact that
most of the ride is very close to brush and cliff walls - but
we couldn't resist.
Sitting Pretty In The Parlor Car
Kate enjoys the scenery - somehow a
baseball cap doesn't seem to go with the
word "Parlor."
Kate enjoys the scenery - somehow a
baseball cap doesn't seem to go with the
word "Parlor."
Abandoned Box Cars
We saw evidence of days gone by
everywhere we went.
We saw evidence of days gone by
everywhere we went.
Are We There Yet?
Two hours into a three and a half hour trip, we
started to wonder if we'd ever get there.
Two hours into a three and a half hour trip, we
started to wonder if we'd ever get there.
Almost To The End
We couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of this lake, which
we saw from the train but happened to be very close to
where we were staying at the Durango Mountain Resort.
We couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of this lake, which
we saw from the train but happened to be very close to
where we were staying at the Durango Mountain Resort.
Journeys
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| August 2006 |
Train Ride From Silverton to Durango
