And then, there was one…
If you'd like to check out the 'Caboose Ride Through the Rockies': • Caboose Ride Through T...
By winter 2021 into 2022, the roster of serviceable coal-burning steam locomotives on Durango and Silverton dwindled to one, K-36 # 481. This 1925 Baldwin-built Mikado is now alone, as K-28 478 and sister K-36 #486 as of the publishing of this video were still residing in the Durango Roundhouse Museum awaiting their 15-year inspections and probable conversion in the face of the current megadrought, climate change, and trouble with coal supplies in the region.
In February of 2022, 481 headed up the railroad’s annual winter photo spectacular with a mixed train consisting of a couple 3000 series boxcars, and a 6500 series fishbelly loaded with rail. After those, we find another 3000 series boxcar, # 3278, converted by the Cumbres and Toltec to Box Coach # 206 in the early 1970s. This car came to the Durango and Silverton in 2019 with 3 other Box Coaches from the Cumbres and Toltec for 4 of The Silverton’s unmodified 3000 series boxes. These cars were acquired to be positioned along the line to help get people out of the Animas Canyon if a need arose and a train could not be quickly dispatched from Durango. Following the freight cars, we find a lineup of San Juan Express varnish resplendent in Grande Gold. Railway post office # 64, now a concession car, leads coaches # 319, # 323, and # 327. Bringing up the markers on the rear is long Caboose 0540. In addition to the 481, we are also joined by Rio Grande Southern “Galloping Goose” # 5 from the Galloping Goose Historical Society of neighboring Dolores following close behind
Join us as we take two days in the Animas Canyon with the last coal smoke in the valley and the tin feathers flying behind it. Since this is a two-day event, we’ll condense and rearrange this trip into a single out-and-back trip to Goblin Fire underneath the picturesque Needle Mountains of the San Juan Range. To check out some more from this journey, check out our earlier video, ‘Caboose Ride Through the Rockies’ where we take a look out the back of caboose 0540 for a scenic ride down the Animas River Canyon.
Yes, THAT number on THAT Cab is blurred...But it's 42-1=... Pay no attention to the stuff behind the curtain. It's KNOTT'S for you to see, BERRY funny what I did there, that's the kinda humor they enjoy on the FARM. (Hmm, Knott's Berry Farm 41?). So join me as we depart YardLimit on this journey looking for that Distant Signal so we're not Delayed In Block..., oh, never mind, I'm not on my normal route, so there's no signals on the D&RGW Narrow Gauge. We're down along the Animas River in the Silvery San Juan Mountains below Chicago Basin and Purgatory Ski Area near Cascade Falls/ Cascade Canyon and Electra Lake.
0:05 Introduction and Background
2:51 Mini High Line
5:03 Rockwood Cut
5:51 High Line
8:32 Tacoma High Bridge
11:03 Ahh! Wilderness Guest Ranch
13:25 Cement Wall
16:02 Tefft
17:59 Goblin Fire
19:50 Bubbling Rock
26:25 Tefft Crossing
29:19 Journey Back
29:51 Gladle's Gap
31:27 Horseshoe Curve