DURANGO SILVERTON AND RAILWAYS

After Mesa Verde we headed to Durango for some wild west culture. Durango was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1879 with the rails arriving 2 years later. However it was a wild time. The best example we found was the case of “Who shot the sheriff ?” Or Durango's Strangest Shootout: The Day the Marshal killed the Sheriff. This was all about a tragic day in 1906 when two officers of the law, fought it out over the enforcement of legal gambling in Durango. Both emptied their revolvers at each other then carried on the fight, clubbing each other with their empty guns, before the sheriff collapsed and died.

Silverton was founded in 1875. About 100 people had made their homes there, working around the mining industry. A wagon road was opened over Stony Pass in 1879 and would be followed shortly after by the railroad a 3 foot narrow gauge line, which would make the transportation of minerals easier, as well as bring more people to the newly accessible Silverton.
The line still runs today with 80 year old engines. It is a steep climb the fireman shovels six tons of coal and ten thousand gallons of water are used per trip.






Mining began to decline after 1912, as did population but before then they had a high old time. Like all mining boomtowns worth their salt, Silverton had its own red-light district — Notorious Blair Street. Here, along a mere three-block stretch, a carousing miner (or “respectable” businessman out for a bit of slumming) could choose from thirty-two saloons, gambling halls, and houses of ill-repute. Among their colorful names were the Mikado, the North Pole, and the Laundry…where they “cleaned you out!”

The Trek

made the same trip on a few gallons of petrol, climbing over several high passes including Red Mountain Pass at 11,018 ft where we found a modern day ghost town, shutting down for the winter.

YES THAT IS SNOW!



GALLOPING GOOSE



We also found another unusual railway engine as we wandered around the San Juan Skyline Drive, a Galloping Goose. These were converted cars built in the 1930s in attempt to keep rail lines open. Running steam trains was just too costly All of the "geese" were built in the railroad's shops at Ridgway, Colorado on 3 foot guage. This is Goose #5, now owned by the city of Dolores, Colorado. After restoration in 1998 it is now operated from time to time on the Cumbres and Toltec and Durango and Silverton tourist railroads.
While we are enjoying a warm Indian Summer we are aware of the snow waiting in the wings. The campground we are in tonight is at 6,200 feet and is usually closed by mid October as the water lines freeze up.


WATER

We saw many examples like this, an abandoned mine with mine tailings below it. This means that the streams run red and yellow and nothing lives there due to heavy metal contamination.




We made the tour on our internal tanks and did not need to fill up on our stops.






I spotted this unusual outfit and although it looked like a vintage BMW at first sight it is a repro. possibly Chinese.

We are heading south to Monument Valley and on to lake Powel next week.