Durango Silverton Narrow Gage Railway Trip (Page 3): Most advice here has been really good. I'll point out that Silverton is north of Durango, and the Rio de las Animas Perdidas (River...

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Most advice here has been really good. I'll point out that Silverton is north of Durango, and the Rio de las Animas Perdidas (River of the Lost Souls) is on the east side of the tracks. The mountains on the west side are very close, and except for an old mine or two (which are photographically interesting) don't offer a lot.

The trip home in the afternoon is mostly downhill, so there won't be a lot of smoke and steam from the locomotive. In addition, the river valley is deep, and afternoon shade can be a challenge, but distant views can be beautiful. I tend to focus on train shots in the morning and landscapes in the afternoon.

Keep in mind that if you are in the rear car, the locomotive is about 500 feet away from you. So you will need more than a wide angle to capture useful images. Remember to shoot vertically when needed to get the steam.

Have a great time.

I don't know if they have been reprinted, but if you can find the little book "Cinders and Smoke" and a milepost by milepost guide, they will help your trip be even more interesting.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

mpawl wrote:

We are just about ready to book a trip at the begining of June on the Durango Silverton Railway. Has anyone taken this trip and how did you like it? It has been years since we were last in Colorado and looking forward to taking the camera. Just wanted to get some thoughts from others on this trip.

Thank you very much

Mike

Been there, done that. Do it. Unique beautiful views from the sheer sides of the cliffs, nothing under you.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Rich1939 wrote:

I have ridden both the Durango & Silverton and... (show quote)

PS: The scenic "looks" are different in that the D&S is more confined , a lot of 'green tunnel' look, while the C&TS is more wide open and at the East end it's sage brush semi desert..

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Do it. It's a lot of fun. Silverton and Durango are both fun places to shop and visit. Even if you don't take the train, the million dollar highway is also a lot of fun especially on a motorcycle.

wmontgomery Loc: Louisiana

Great bucket list item. Remember this is a coal burning train. Coal cinders get everywhere especially on light colored clothing and in women's hair. Naturally the kids did not care. You are going in June so people will have windows open even in the enclosed cars. Fortunately we were spending the night nearby and could clean up without having to drive several hours to our next location.
Great trip, enjoy.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

jeep_daddy wrote:

Do it. It's a lot of fun. Silverton and Durango are both fun places to shop and visit. Even if you don't take the train, the million dollar highway is also a lot of fun especially on a motorcycle.

Particularly North from Silverton to Ouray. (

before the tunnel was put in just before Ouray. [and guard rails])

Mia culpa! Wherever that tunnel was built it wasn't near Ouray. Guess my memory ain't what it once was.

MilRic

If you plan to ride the train buy your tickets WELL in advance.

ConradN

We rode in the last car and had a blast taking photos from the rear platform. Be prepared for wind and chilly temps.

Water tower on Durango Silverton RR, Colorado.

OneShot1 Loc: Wichita, KS, USA

I booked the best car they had. It was worth the extra money to me. It happened to be the last car on the train and I could stand on the rear platform the whole trip, taking in the scenery like the view of a motorcycle...sights, sounds, and smells. Interior of the car was refurbished vintage luxury. They had wine samples. Train from D to S, then rode bus back. Food and photos in Silverton before return. Highly recommended.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

mpawl wrote:

We are just about ready to book a trip at the begining of June on the Durango Silverton Railway. Has anyone taken this trip and how did you like it? It has been years since we were last in Colorado and looking forward to taking the camera. Just wanted to get some thoughts from others on this trip.

Thank you very much

Mike

Well worth taking.
I have taken it several times and never get tired of it.

billmck Loc: Central KY

It's a beautiful ride, extremely scenic! My wife and I did it several years ago, taking the train both ways. Personally, if I were to do it again, I'd only take the train one way.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

mpawl wrote:

We are just about ready to book a trip at the begining of June on the Durango Silverton Railway. Has anyone taken this trip and how did you like it? It has been years since we were last in Colorado and looking forward to taking the camera. Just wanted to get some thoughts from others on this trip.

Thank you very much

Mike

It's been about 27 years for me but it was a fun ride and beautiful. It was rather cold when we were there so be prepared. If your driving through Colorado I suggest a side trip to Telluride (not far from Silverton) and Marble Colorado. The Mine in Marble is fascinating and every year they have a marble carving festival or at least they did.

rich1hart Loc: Chicago suburbs

We took our grandson on that ride back in 2010. He loved it and so did we. You've gotten some good advice on seating, sit in a car near the rear of the train on the right side going up and on the left side going down. You can get some great shots from there.

gessman Loc: Colorado

In the "Train Section" here you can scroll down a ways and you'll find two threads I recently posted and I'm sure you'll find others if you look over the different posts. Enjoy your ride:

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-131-1.html

Worto

We took the train last Fall. The train is very slow. We rode the bus from Durango to Silverton. This makes your whole day shorter and you can sleep in longer. This also gave us two or three hours to enjoy the mining museum (excellent!). Then we took the train back to Durango. I recommend this method.