Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Locale	La Plata County, Colorado San Juan County, Colorado
Dates of operation	1881–present
Track gauge	3 ft (914 mm)
Length	45 miles
Headquarters	Durango, Colorado
Website	www.durangotrain.com

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Highline above Animas Canyon
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Location	Durango, Colorado Silverton, Colorado
Coordinates	37°17′51″N 107°52′14″W / 37.29750°N 107.87056°W / 37.29750; -107.87056Coordinates: 37°17′51″N 107°52′14″W / 37.29750°N 107.87056°W / 37.29750; -107.87056
Built	1882
Architect	General William J. Palmer
NRHP Reference #	66000247
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	July 4, 1961

[ ] Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Silverton Mineral Creek Animas River Deer Park Creek Elk Creek Animas River Needleton Water Tank Needleton Animas River Rockwood Grasshopper Creek Tank Creek Canyon Creek Animas River Elbert Creek U.S. Route 550 Hermosa Trimble Lane 36th Street 32nd Street Junction Creek Huck Finn Pond 15th Street Bridge Durango Yard U.S. Route 550 Durango

66000247

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG) is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge heritage railroad that operates 45.2 miles (72.7 km) of track between Durango and Silverton, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The railway is a federally designated National Historic Landmark and is also designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The route was originally opened in 1882 by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway (D&RG) to transport silver and gold ore mined from the San Juan Mountains. The line was an extension of the D&RG 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge line from Antonito, Colorado, to Durango. The last train to operate into Durango from the east was on December 6, 1968. The states of New Mexico and Colorado purchased 64 miles between Antonito and Chama, New Mexico, in 1970 and operates today as the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Trackage between Chama and Durango was removed by 1971.

The line from Durango to Silverton has run continuously since 1881, although it is now a tourist and heritage line hauling passengers, and is one of the few places in the U.S. which has seen continuous use of steam locomotives. In March 1981, the Denver & Rio Grande Western sold the line and the D&SNG was formed.