Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Narrow Gauge Days





For the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, this weekend opens the summer season. Narrow Gauge Days will begin this celebration on Friday at the train depot in Durango.
With a free hot dog picnic on the lawn and the opportunity to tour premium cars (including the remodeled “Yankee Girl” car), the day will be an excellent start to the summer train season.
The Bar D Wranglers will be providing the musical entertainment, and Snoopy and Victorian characters will wander around.
The D & S will also be giving out tree seedlings to reduce the carbon footprint on earth.
On Saturday, a complimentary continental breakfast will be hosted in Silverton at 10th and Cement streets between 10 and 11:30. The train ride will also feature bits of Durango history.
The train is such a connection to Durango’s history. Since its beginnings in 1882, the train has run continuously between Durango and Silverton. It is steam-run and heated by coal. It originally operated to haul gold and silver from the San Juan Mountains. As mining declined in the area, the train held various roles. In WWI, the government took over railroad operations. In WWII, Smelter started producing uranium, and parts of the train were used in Alaska. With such history, it makes us appreciate the train’s heritage in town even more.
The locomotives are maintained in their original condition. Now people from all over the world come to Durango to ride the train. We are looking forward to another summer of visitors experiencing the history and unique experience of the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. We hope you enjoy the Narrow Gauge Days celebration this weekend!
See the below link for more information on Narrow Gauge Days and history of the train:
http://www.durangotrain.com/events/narrow-gauge-days#.U18nHGBOV7g

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