D&S Winter Photographers’ Special 2005

Some Context – A Brief History of the Silverton Branch

With the battle with the Santa Fe over the Royal Gorge and Raton behind them in 1879, investors started to again provide funding for General Palmer’s D&RG. The first thing the road did in 1880 was start construction on three large expansions towards sources of new revenue – a feeder west from the Royal Gorge area to the mines of Leadville, CO, a feeder south towards Santa Fe, NM, and a long branch westward towards the San Juan mountains and whatever riches might be there. Call it railroad prospecting if you will – Palmer was sending feeders out in any direction that had the potential to turn up new traffic. The last of these branches, from the end of track at Alamosa to the San Juans, would appropriately be known as the San Juan Extension.

Being a narrow gauge route, and a bit of a gamble at that, the line was poorly graded and had a good number of sharp curves, but proceeded quickly westward across Cumbres Pass and then towards the San Juan area following various canyons. Completed for operation in August 1881, only a year and a few months after starting the extension, almost perfectly 200 miles of track were strung across the wilderness towards the small town of Animas City, near the southern base of the San Juan mountains. Animas City, while interested in being a railroad hub, declined to meet Palmer’s demands of free land for the railroad facilities. True to Palmer’s style, the railroad then decided to actually build their facilities at a new town just south of Animas City, calling this new terminal Durango. Within a few years, the population attracted by the prosperity of the region settled in Durango, relegating Animas City to virtually unknown status. Durango, however, promised little revenue compared with what lay only 45 miles to the north – the high mountain country and the emerging silver and gold mining industries around Silverton.

Silverton is a small town high in the San Juan mountains (just over 9300 feet!) that started its existence in 1860 with Charles Baker’s discovery of gold in the area. However, it wasn’t until the 1873 treaty with the local Native American tribe, the Utes, opened the whole area to settlement. Even then, being in the high mountains without any easy route to market, large-scale mining wasn’t yet practical. However, a wagon road in opened in 1879 provided some access, and prospectors quickly realized the potential held by the area – not in the gold originally sought by Baker, but primarily in silver, hence the town’s name.

Eager to tap this revenue, the Rio Grande built the Silverton Branch – 45 miles of track – in only nine months. This is really quite incredible, considering the rockwork that needed to be done in order to pass through the lower Animas River canyon (along what today is called the High Line). Parts of this construction cost nearly $1000/foot, a notable sum when railroad cars were a few hundred each and a new locomotive was only around $4500. By July 1882 the line was complete, and mining in the area boomed. At one point, over forty mines operated in the hills above town, shipping both their products and their supplies over the Rio Grande and three small feeder railroads that connected Silverton to the mines. Thousands of tons of ore flowed south from Silverton to the American Smelting and Refining smelter at Durango, located south across the river from the roundhouse. Supplies for the mines and miners flowed north by the trainload. Those supplies coming in, and the refined metals going out both flowed over the San Juan Extension to reach the rest of the US railroad network. Business was good, at least for a while.

By 1890, under pressure from mining interests and debtors seeking an inflationary panacea to their problems, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was signed into law, which obligated the government to buy 281,250 pounds of silver every month at market rates, and established that currency could be redeemed for either gold or silver (the US was taken off a bimetal gold/silver standard in 1875). Instantly silver doubled in value with the new demand coming online and consuming nearly the entire silver output for the country. It didn’t stay at that price, though, but continued to drop as silver production continued to increase. Because of this, in the end the plan backfired because the dropping silver prices instilling fear with investors, particularly foreign ones, that the value of a dollar would drop significantly due to the greater percentage of less-valuable silver backing the currency than gold. This eventually lead to the Silver Panic of 1893. Pointing to the Sherman Act and silver as the primary cause, Presiden Grover Cleveland and the Congress immediately immediately repealed the act in mid-1893. The silver mining industry crashed, having overextended itself during the three boom years and now being stuck with the price of silver plummetting back to below its pre-1890 levels. This event marked the end of the silver booms across the American West, and with it much of the mining traffic from Silverton.

By 1895, metal prices had started to rebound, and many of the mines at Silverton had found gold ore in sufficient quantities to remain viable. In 1897, some half of the output of Silverton’s mines was gold, with the rest being lead, zinc, silver and copper. The big boom started with a huge gold strike at the Sunnyside Mine in 1899, and subsequent nearby strikes. While actually somewhat north of Silverton, the town was the established base for commerce in the area and still at the head of the only link to the outside world – the D&RG. After 1910, though, many of the mines played out or were closed due to environmental problems (flooding, washouts, mudslides, avalanches, etc.) Before World War I, there was a brief increase in zinc mining, but even this lasted only a short time. The Silverton Branch’s glory years for freight traffic were quickly fading.

As time went on and the mining activities decreased, agriculture and timber became the dominant commodities. These, however, largely did not move over the Silverton branch. In 1905, the Farmington Branch was constructed south from Durango to the ranching and farming areas around its namesake Farmington, NM. (As a historical note, it was constructed as standard gauge, then converted to narrow gauge in 1921 when it was clear the San Juan Extension would never be converted to standard gauge.) The Pagosa branch was responsible for much of the lumber that moved over the route. The Silverton branch, once the moneymaker of the route, was slowly slipping towards insignificance. By the 1940s, World War II brought a little relief to most of the San Juan Extension from a temporary increase in mining – not for silver or gold this time, but for copper, zinc, and uranium. When the war ended and freight traffic returned to virtually non-existant levels, abandonment of the Durango-Silverton segment became a real possibility.

By 1951, the whole of the San Juan extension was in danger as well, with traffic down to a trickle, replaced largely by new highways into the region. Even the Rio Grande was shifting freight traffic from the narrow gauge to Rio Grande Motorways, its rubber-tired subsidiary. On 1-Feb-1951, passenger service on the line from Alamosa to Durango ended with the demise of the line’s through passenger service, the San Juan. In 1952, Durango’s other railroad connection to the outside world, the Rio Grande Southern (running up the west side of the San Juans to Ridgway and the D&RGW connection), was scrapped. In the midst of it all, though, the regular train between Durango and Silverton, appropriately enough called The Silverton, was on the rebound. Through a general rise in tourism after WWII (made possible in part by the very highways killing the narrow gauge), careful marketing by the D&RGW, and its appearance in several Hollywood movies, tourist ridership on the Silverton train began to rebound, in stark contrast to the rest of the narrow gauge system.

Things weren’t quite over for the San Juan Extension, however. The line received a reprieve from the scrapper in the 50s from an oil and gas boom near Farmington. This led to solid unit trains of pipe transported over the route, in addition to drilling supplies. However, by 1960 even this traffic had largely dried up, with the oil wells and pipelines being completed. By 1966, only 20 trains plied the Antonito-Durango line during the entire year, and by 1967 the abandonment paperwork was filed. The last revenue freights ran at the very end of August 1968, with the last westward run over the line being 5/6-Dec-1968, powered by 473 and 483 and with Engineer Andy Payne, Fireman Robin Yates, Conductor Jim Mayer, and Brakemen John Nolan and Denny Cummins. With that, the era of narrow gauge freight in Colorado came to a close.

Scrapping started at Chama and working west on 20-Sep-1970, and by a year later, nearly the entire line was pulled up. The only sections saved were the Silverton branch, thanks to its profitable tourist business, a 64 mile segment over Cumbres Pass sold to the states of Colorado and New Mexico (now the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic), and the dual gauge (then converted to standard gauge) line from Alamosa to the perlite mine at Antonito.

Today, the Silverton Branch continues as the only section that has had continuous passenger service for its entire history (some 123 years). In 1967, the line itself became recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The route continued to be operated by the Rio Grande as Subdivision 12-B of the Alamosa or Colorado Divisions until 1981. At that point, Charles Bradshaw, Jr., purchased the branch to further its potential as a tourist attraction under the current name, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. In 1989, the line was again sold to American Heritage Railways, who continues to operate it to this day.

Saturday, Feb 26, 2005 – The First D&S Winter Photo Special

For the past fifteen years, the Durango & Silverton Railroad has been holding annual Fall Photographers’ Specials. This year, they decided to see just how many of us crazy people would wander out in the cold and snow to participate. The idea was to allow both railroad and photography enthusiasts the chance to photograph the train running through pristine winter environment on the remote, inaccessible parts of the line – mainly between Rockwood and Schaaf’s Cabin, about four miles north of the Cascade wye. As it turns out, at $79/person, about 86 of us hearty (or crazy) individuals decided to participate, out of the ceiling of 100 they had space for on the run.

At 0800h on Saturday, Feb 26, 2005, we departed Durango for points north on a train consisting of K-28 #473, a boxcar, three coaches, two open-air cars, and a caboose. While it was relatively cold, the day started off completely clear and sunny. Over the course of the day, we did numerous pre-staged photo runbys at locations such as just above Tacoma, at the Tall Timber Resort, at the old Cascade siding, at the Cascade wye (both of our photo special and of the normal winter train turning around), and then up at the McCausland Bridge and at Schaaf’s Ranch. Obviously, with the open air gondolas and the curvature of the branch, a great number of additional photo opportunities presented themselves as we rolled along as well.

Most of the passengers had the good sense to use the warm coaches and their reserved seats to warm up between photo runs, but yours truly spent the whole day freezing in the rear gon. I don’t regret it one bit – it’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and hopefully you’ll enjoy the photos. The entire trip was absolutely first rate. My hat goes off to the folks of the Durango and Silverton for an absolutely exceptional run on Saturday – thanks for all the effort invested into putting together this event. You all are what makes the D&S worth coming back to over and over again.

A quick map showing the Durango & Silverton's route — A quick map showing the Durango & Silverton’s route

The timetable and timetable cover, in addition to a ticket stub from the trip

A bright clear morning in Durango for the special

At 0730h, the train was ready for boarding

Power for the day was ex-DRGW K-28 473, complete with the white lights and flags marking it as an extra

Out of Durango, the line turns and parallels US 550 through a long, flat valley

The fans on the train weren't the only ones out... — The fans on the train weren’t the only ones out…

Hermosa Tank, one of the two surviving wooden tanks on the line

Once past Hermosa, the line starts climbing into the mountains

Rockwood is the last point on the line until Silverton that's accessible by road. As you can see, there's a lot more snow up here. — Rockwood is the last point on the line until Silverton that’s accessible by road. As you can see, there’s a lot more snow up here.

Through is cut is the famous Highline, and also the public lands of San Juan National Forest (note sign). The truly incredible opportunities this trip provides are all on the other side of this cut... — Through is cut is the famous Highline, and also the public lands of San Juan National Forest (note sign). The truly incredible opportunities this trip provides are all on the other side of this cut…

The Highline is called that for a reason - the track clings to a narrow shelf some 400 feet above the Animas River gorge — The Highline is called that for a reason – the track clings to a narrow shelf some 400 feet above the Animas River gorge

Since there was nowhere we could form a photo line up here, it was just easier to do a couple photo ops with all of us in the open gons

Coming off the Highline, the track sweeps through a couple impressive curves

Just before Tacoma, the line crosses the "High Bridge", a deck truss over the Animas. — Just before Tacoma, the line crosses the “High Bridge”, a deck truss over the Animas.

Tacoma's claim to fame is its hydroelectric plant, seen here looking south. The plant was constructed in 1905, and currently has a capacity of 8 megawatts. — Tacoma’s claim to fame is its hydroelectric plant, seen here looking south. The plant was constructed in 1905, and currently has a capacity of 8 megawatts.

The first run-by of the day is about a half-mile north of Tacoma at the "Repeat Curves" — The first run-by of the day is about a half-mile north of Tacoma at the “Repeat Curves”

Steaming up the canyon on the second run-by pass

That's our Conductor, Jeff, providing reverse move protection as they come back to pick all of us up. — That’s our Conductor, Jeff, providing reverse move protection as they come back to pick all of us up.

Following the eastern bank of the Animas River below Tank Creek.

Above Tacoma, on our way up to Tank Creek

At Tank Creek, we stop briefly to take on water. The original wooden tank is long gone, replaced by this former tank car in 1966.

After watering up, our next stop was the Tall Timber resort, which is only accessible by rail (and helicopter...) — After watering up, our next stop was the Tall Timber resort, which is only accessible by rail (and helicopter…)

A wider shot from the second run at Tall Timber. It's darn difficult to guess the correct exposure compensation with all that virgin snow! — A wider shot from the second run at Tall Timber. It’s darn difficult to guess the correct exposure compensation with all that virgin snow!

Part of the resort itself, right next to the railway. Oh yes, it's expensive - prices starting at $975 per night with a 6 night stay... — Part of the resort itself, right next to the railway. Oh yes, it’s expensive – prices starting at $975 per night with a 6 night stay…

How many times have you seen a garage which doesn't connect to a road, but has a 3' gauge spur from it to the mainline? — How many times have you seen a garage which doesn’t connect to a road, but has a 3′ gauge spur from it to the mainline?

At northern leg of the Cascade wye, a couple of guys with a speeder wait for us to pass. Presumably they're a pilot car out checking the line for us. — At northern leg of the Cascade wye, a couple of guys with a speeder wait for us to pass. Presumably they’re a pilot car out checking the line for us.

From Tall Timber, we headed straight up to the old Cascade siding area for a few more run-bys.

At about 1210h, we backed up to the Cascade wye to watch the the regularly-scheduled train, powered by K-28 478, turn and head back to Durango

Well, since we're already at the Cascade wye, we might as well do a run-by of our own train coming back to get us.... — Well, since we’re already at the Cascade wye, we might as well do a run-by of our own train coming back to get us….

A typical photo line forms at McCausland's Bridge to watch 473 blast by. The namesake (scary) footbridge can barely be seen in the background. — A typical photo line forms at McCausland’s Bridge to watch 473 blast by. The namesake (scary) footbridge can barely be seen in the background.

Our northernmost point for the day was Schaaf's Ranch, about four miles beyond Cascade. We're the first winter revenue train to get this far in something like 15 years. — Our northernmost point for the day was Schaaf’s Ranch, about four miles beyond Cascade. We’re the first winter revenue train to get this far in something like 15 years.

Before we start backing towards Cascade wye, the crew poses in front of the 473. Well done, guys, your efforts made for a great day for us all.

Back at Cascade, they back us through the wye to get us pointed back towards Durango

This is the railroad's pavillion at Tacoma, which is probably a little cold today — This is the railroad’s pavillion at Tacoma, which is probably a little cold today

Below Cascade wye, we follow the river through some really narrow canyons

Perhaps built a bit too close to the river, there are numerous signs of old washouts. Look carefully below the train and you'll see rails with ties still attached, washed into the river years ago. — Perhaps built a bit too close to the river, there are numerous signs of old washouts. Look carefully below the train and you’ll see rails with ties still attached, washed into the river years ago.

Back above Tacoma at the "Repeat Curves", we've got time for one more photo op on the way back to town. — Back above Tacoma at the “Repeat Curves”, we’ve got time for one more photo op on the way back to town.

And this is why they call them the "Repeat Curves". Apparently they're a repair for an earlier washout - the line was originally much straighter. — And this is why they call them the “Repeat Curves”. Apparently they’re a repair for an earlier washout – the line was originally much straighter.

One last runby, as I break through the crust and drop up to my thighs in snow. Not bad for a shot on the way down... — One last runby, as I break through the crust and drop up to my thighs in snow. Not bad for a shot on the way down…

At Tacoma, one of the tracks holds a rag-tag collection of old freight cars, most of which apparently will be sold soon. Most aren't in good shape. — At Tacoma, one of the tracks holds a rag-tag collection of old freight cars, most of which apparently will be sold soon. Most aren’t in good shape.

A look at the High Bridge from the opposite side.

A better look at just how far down it is from the Highline.

At Rockwood, we stop briefly to let off a couple people.

Between Rockwood and Pinkerton, the snow sets in and it gets darn cold

Like we say here in Colorado, if you don't like the weather, wait fifteen minutes. Sure enough, it's sunny upon arrival in Durango. — Like we say here in Colorado, if you don’t like the weather, wait fifteen minutes. Sure enough, it’s sunny upon arrival in Durango.

Almost back, the line travels right down through the heart of town.

And back at the station right at 1800h, with the sun starting to dip behind the mountains.

Durango Yard Tour – Saturday Evening, Feb 26, 2005

On the way back, it eventually began to snow, but then by Durango we were back out in clear skies and sun again. Right around 1800h we pulled into the Durango depot. Afterwards, the D&S employees were generous enough to treat us all to a tour inside the roundhouse and machine shop. In what might be considered an act of heresy amongst steam enthusiasts, I asked about the diesels. I’ve photographed every piece of steam the D&S has to offer, but I hadn’t ever seen any of the diesels yet. One of the D&S employees guiding us around (I believe his name was Mac, but I could have that wrong – should have taken notes) offered to escort a few of us to the rear of the yards where all that good stuff lives – such as the old rolling stock, the back of the roundhouse, and, of course, the new diesel fleet. (See Chapter 3 for shop/yard photos)

Some of the D&S personnel were kind enough to offer us a tour of the roundhouse after we detrained. Needless to say, most of us took them up on it.

478 sits and steams a bit after pulling the day's regular passenger train. The unit on the left is 481, which has no drivers at the moment. — 478 sits and steams a bit after pulling the day’s regular passenger train. The unit on the left is 481, which has no drivers at the moment.

Another look at 481 without drivers, as well as 478

There's 481's drivers, in the machine shop that was added after the 1989 roundhouse fire. — There’s 481’s drivers, in the machine shop that was added after the 1989 roundhouse fire.

In order, right to left, are 486, 482, and 480. You have to love the 478 box on the wall... — In order, right to left, are 486, 482, and 480. You have to love the 478 box on the wall…

This is the sandhouse, once attached to the sanding tower and one of the original structures. It's in poor shape, and due to be torn down soon. — This is the sandhouse, once attached to the sanding tower and one of the original structures. It’s in poor shape, and due to be torn down soon.

Some of the cool old cars stored in the back part of the yard on the east side (including the wooden drop-bottom gons)

The southernmost part of the new roundhouse, built in 1990 after the original burned in 1989. It, however, was constructed to be true to the original.

Another view across the table, looking out towards the northwest

Not every day you see a K-36 smokebox door not mounted to the rest of the unit - 482 is inside getting flue work, as I understand. — Not every day you see a K-36 smokebox door not mounted to the rest of the unit – 482 is inside getting flue work, as I understand.

The K-37 that you don't see very often - 498. Being stiff, heavy, and hard on the track, the D&S doesn't run them. The C&TS ran 497 until a couple years back. — The K-37 that you don’t see very often – 498. Being stiff, heavy, and hard on the track, the D&S doesn’t run them. The C&TS ran 497 until a couple years back.

The cab, with most of the goodies preserved elsewhere.

Durango & Silverton's first diesel, acquired during the fire-prone 2002 season. It's a 44-ton built in 1957, and purchased from the Arkansas Limestone Railroad. — Durango & Silverton’s first diesel, acquired during the fire-prone 2002 season. It’s a 44-ton built in 1957, and purchased from the Arkansas Limestone Railroad.

D&S PB-2, one of three 45-ton units purchased from the East Broad Top (all cousins to the EBT M-7 and originally built for Algoma Steel)

The other end of PB-2. I have no idea what the chains are for.

The big boy of the diesel fleet, Big Al, D&S #7. This is an 87-ton center cab, built in 1975, and purchased in 2003 directly from Algoma Steel in Sault St. Marie.

One of the cousins of PB-2, also purchased from the EBT

A look inside one of 4's engine compartments. The new filters and hoses suggest this one's being restored to service — A look inside one of 4’s engine compartments. The new filters and hoses suggest this one’s being restored to service

The other cousin, DSNG 5. Our guide through the yard mentioned that either 4 or 5 might become parts, and I'm guessing 5 — The other cousin, DSNG 5. Our guide through the yard mentioned that either 4 or 5 might become parts, and I’m guessing 5

5 is missing its trucks as well. Apparently they're off being worked on or rebuilt. Notice it's chalked "Betsy" on the cab — 5 is missing its trucks as well. Apparently they’re off being worked on or rebuilt. Notice it’s chalked “Betsy” on the cab

A final look at the Hot Shot 1 and Big Al 7 as the light fades for the day.

From the north end, looking back into the yard on the way out.

Looking north at the Silverton branch heading out of the yard and through Durango

Following the San Juan Extension – Sunday, Feb 27, 2005

With Saturday done and no regular train running on that Sunday, I clearly had to find something else railroad-related to do on the way home. Sitting in the hotel the night before, I realized that no discussion of either of Colorado’s two longest remaining narrow gauge railroads (the Durango & Silverton and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, of course…) is complete without a discussion of the original railroad line that created them – the Rio Grande’s famous San Juan Extension. Now nearly forty years after the last revenue D&RGW train ran over the line, a surprising amount remains, hidden in the valleys of southwest Colorado and northewestern New Mexico. Since I was already out that far, I decided to use most of Sunday coming back to drive along the old right of way, checking for surviving artifacts from the old route. In the last part of the trip report, we’ll cover all but a few miles of the route between Durango, CO, and Chama, NM.

The grade seen winding through the brush just east of the Piedra River bridge.

The Piedra River bridge, constructed in 1962 when the Navajo reservoir flooded the line about a mile south of here

Another view of the bridge. Today it's part of a walkway through a park and wildlife viewing area — Another view of the bridge. Today it’s part of a walkway through a park and wildlife viewing area

Beyond the bridge, the right of way has been turned into a dirt road until near Carracas.

Where the two separate again, occasional hints of the former railway can be seen, such as these trestle bents outside Carracas.

The next remnant is the most remarkable on the line - the nearly-intact siding, bridge, and tank at Pagosa Junction. This is Southern Ute Indian property. — The next remnant is the most remarkable on the line – the nearly-intact siding, bridge, and tank at Pagosa Junction. This is Southern Ute Indian property.

No idea how long this tank will survive - it's deteriorated significantly since the last time I saw it. — No idea how long this tank will survive – it’s deteriorated significantly since the last time I saw it.

This lone gondola (DRGW 536) sits on the siding at Pagosa Junction.

Looking west across the truss bridge. The Pagosa branch used to wye off on the other side of the bridge, but the rails stop at the west end of the bridge.

West of Pagosa Junction, the grade can be seen following the river where the road didn't bulldoze it under. — West of Pagosa Junction, the grade can be seen following the river where the road didn’t bulldoze it under.

At Juanita, there are two bridges. There's a multi-span bridge crossing the San Juan River, and then this typical truss, which crosses the Navajo River, which splits off the San Juan here. — At Juanita, there are two bridges. There’s a multi-span bridge crossing the San Juan River, and then this typical truss, which crosses the Navajo River, which splits off the San Juan here.

Beyond Juanita, it's seven miles to Navajo. However, the road is a muddy sinkhole, so I drove all the way around. At Navajo is a nicely preserved tank and another bridge. — Beyond Juanita, it’s seven miles to Navajo. However, the road is a muddy sinkhole, so I drove all the way around. At Navajo is a nicely preserved tank and another bridge.

Next is Dulce (pronounced Dull-see by the locals). Here remain two stock cars, DRGW 5792 and DRGW 5794. Supposedly there's a freight house here, to, but I didn't see it. — Next is Dulce (pronounced Dull-see by the locals). Here remain two stock cars, DRGW 5792 and DRGW 5794. Supposedly there’s a freight house here, to, but I didn’t see it.

East of Dulce is Lumberton, where there used to be a small yard, and the branch up towards Chromo split off. That's the grade - the lump to the left of the road. — East of Dulce is Lumberton, where there used to be a small yard, and the branch up towards Chromo split off. That’s the grade – the lump to the left of the road.

The next stop east is Monero, and on the way one can clearly see the right of way cut into the hillside on the left.

South of the US 64 - US 84 junction at Biggs, one can see the old grade snaking through the snow. — South of the US 64 – US 84 junction at Biggs, one can see the old grade snaking through the snow.

Between Biggs and Chama, the line crosses the Continental Divide on a rather non-descript hump in the ground. However, the old grade can still be seen north of the highway in many places.

The west end of the Cumbres & Toltec is somewhere under that snow, and beyond that starts the 107 abandoned miles into Durango.

All photographs in this trip report were taken with a Canon EOS 10D using either a Canon 28-105mm USM or a Canon 75-300mm f4-5.3 IS/USM.

This work is copyright 2024 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.