The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad isn't just a train ride

It's a journey through time - and a reminder of human sacrifice and perseverance.

The train whistle echoes through the crisp mountain air. It's piercing and definitive, sending a shiver down my spine as it echoes through the steep mountain terrain around me.

It's the sound of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a wisp of steam billowing from its iron heart as it pulls into the quaint Durango Depot. 

There's a collective gasp around me as people hold their phones to film the steam pushing out the release valves. I’m in awe as I watch a 'fireman'—the name for the coal shoveller feeding the train's firebox—wander down the platform, handing out generous nods and smiles, his white teeth already glowing against a layer of soot on his face.

Within the first 30 seconds of being in the presence of the train, I couldn't help but be transported back in time, picturing the Wild West of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where these very tracks once carried silver and gold out of the rugged San Juan Mountains. 

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is delightfully old school. Picture: Jeremy Drake

Today, the train carries a different kind of treasure: wide-eyed tourists like myself, eager to journey through Colorado's breathtaking landscapes.

The appeal of this experience is not just nostalgia. Trains do nostalgia well. This is about accessing a landscape in a way that only a "Narrow Gauge" train could. The smaller, almost one-metre wide tracks make it easier to take sharp curves through the mountains as you traverse through old mining towns, across bridges spanning 30-metre ravines over the Animas River Gorge and through towns with names straight out of western films, like "Crazy Woman Creek."

We hand our tickets to a conductor outside the Red Mountain Car. A weathered man with a moustache guides us to our premium seats in what is considered one of the upper-class experiences. Scooping the step from the platform, he leans out the door—"Allllll aboard!" His booming voice echoes almost as loud as the train whistle from earlier.

The conductor's voice was almost as loud as the train whistle. Picture: Jeremy Drake

We lurch forward in several jolts, and as we snake our way out of Durango, we wave at locals from their neat rows of Victorian-era homes before the scenery transforms into snow-draped pines, crystal-clear streams and a rhythmic chug that becomes almost hypnotic as the sun starts to warm the car and my face.

This is one of America's last coal-powered locomotives. By the Summer of 2024, the entire fleet, including this train, will be converted to use recycled motor oil to generate its steam, partly for sustainability but primarily for safety. I learned why when I finally braved the train's viewing platform and pushed my face beyond the guard rails; soot and small pieces of coal covered my jacket and filled my eyes. There's a constant potential bushfire hazard spewing from the locomotive stack, so two small carts trail the train behind us to put out any spotfires.

Our guide, Holly, regales us with tales of the railroad's colourful past. It's hard not to get swept up in her storytelling of the miners who toiled in these hills, hoping to strike it rich. At the same time, she hands me coffee and a muffin and simultaneously offers me a "Rusty Spike" cocktail to wash it down. If it were the turn of the century and I was one of the engineers working up here to cut a trail through this high, remote landscape, a 9am drink would be necessary.

I had it a tad easier than they did at the turn of the century... Picture: Jeremy Drake

We chug towards Cascade Canyon, our turnaround point for this trip. In the Summer months, the train travels all the way to Silverton, a historic mining town in the mountains filled with saloons, quaint boutiques, and coffee shops. It's the sort of town that wouldn't need any dressing for an old Western film set. But thick snow and unpredictable winter conditions confine the journey to a truncated 5-hour round trip. 

We alight the train at Cascade Canyon for a half-hour break, and by taking a short stroll down the river bed, I'm afforded some tranquillity and solo time for reflection amongst the thick snow and pine trees. The railroad company packed me a turkey sandwich, a cookie and a packet of potato chips. It's a modest, fitting meal for this authentic mountain adventure.

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad isn't just a train ride; it's a journey through time, a reminder of human sacrifice, endurance, and exploration. Last year, nearly a quarter of a million people rode this train into the mountains, and it's easy to see why. This is one of the world's most incredible, underrated train trips, all for under AUD $130 a ticket.

This writer travelled as a guest of the Colorado Tourism Office.

Originally published as The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad isn't just a train ride