For the first time since 2019, the Durango and Silverton return a third train to Silverton with the return of train 465, the 3rd Silverton Train. Not only that but it's all bangers, all the time, er, all steam all the time. Yes, the White Pass and Yukon DL535 Alco's are off for the rest of the season until next summer. We catch all three classes of Durango's K class locomotives in service ranging from 100 year old ALCO K-28 # 476, 1925 Baldwin Built K-36 # 482, and 1902/1928 built K-37 # 493 that was rebuilt by the Denver and Rio Grande Western in their Burnham Shops in Denver in the latter year. We'll quote plenty of C.W. McCall along the way as we chase these three along the line and get our hide past the Snowshed Slide.

The dog days of summer are waning as the crisp morning air awakens us on this mid-September morning. We find ourselves in Durango Colorado on the precipice of the autumnal equinox, where for the first time since 2019 one can find three scheduled trains to Silverton. Today, we find the 8:15 am Silverton Mixed, Train # 461 led by K36 # 482 departing on time as the conductor gives the high sign and engineer Kylah gives two blasts of the whistle, eases the throttle open, and we’re rollin’. We’ll follow train 461 up the Valley, while behind it will be trains #463 and #465 departing at 9 and 9:45 am respectively.
We first catch up to train 461 at 32nd Street, one of the few road crossings of the Animas along the length of the railroad
Threading the gap between Animas City mountain and the terminal moraine across the river, the railroad has now entered the Hermosa Valley, carved by glaciers less than a million years ago, just yesterday in geological terms.
Located eleven miles north of the Durango depot, Hermosa is the first water tank along the line. Today we won’t be stopping here as Kylah pulls on the throttle to attack Hermosa Hill, one of the longer sustained heavy grades on the line
Clinging to the narrow shelf of the mini high line, the railroad is well above the valley floor and Baker’s Bridge, This historic crossing of the Animas is the final road crossing of the river until well above Silverton and was the location for some of the shot of our heroes jumping into the river in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. We’ll leave 461 and its 1925-built Baldwin here and go high above the canyon through the Purgatory Ski Area and over the lofty Coal Bank and Molas Passes.
We’re now south of Baker’s Park near Milepost 493.9 where we once again meet 461 making its way as a thunderstorm rages deep in the canyon.
Floating down the canyon, we're at milepost 492.95 as we now finally catch train 463, lead by K-37 #493. The 493 was originally a standard gauge 2-8-0 consolidation type locomotive rebuilt in 1928 by the Rio Grande into its currency configuration as a narrow gauge 2-8-2 Mikado in the railroad’s Burnham Shop. 493 is now in its fourth season of service on the Durango and Silverton, having been returned to steam in 2020 after over fifty years of sitting unused.
Later, we find one hundred-year-old 476 leading up train 465. This 1923 Mikado, built by the American Locomotive Company is one of the most iconic locomotives on The Silverton, having hauled cargo and passengers through this narrow defile in the San Juans since the early 1930’s. Let’s watch as it gets its hide past the snowshed slide and heads right into Silverton.
The clouds have been swept away and the sun has returned to the depths of the Animas canyon as the remains of the King Mine’s ore tipple, which burned down in 2007, one of the last such structures along the line. The King Mine was located directly across the river and the ore was ferried via tram over the Animas here.
First in and First out, 482 now leads train 462, the first Southbound Silverton Mixed through the gap at Cataract Falls, which has been reduced to a mere trickle by this time of year.
We find ourselves out of the canyon and into the relatively wide expanse of Baker’s Park as 493 departs from Silverton Yard Limits, leading up what’s now train 464 on its journey home.
Finally, we’re just southwest of the depot as train 466 eases out of Silverton on the drawbar of the 476. We’ll leave the three K’s here as we climb over them via our high mountain passes on our southward journey as we leave the Silvery San Juans behind.