Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a 45-mile long tourist railroad that operates passenger trains between Durango, Colorado and Silverton, Colorado. The Silverton Branch, as it is also referred to, was a part of the larger Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad narrow gauge system. The line runs through some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the United States with much of the trip running in the gorgeous Animas Canyon.
As with any true with any railroad, the Durango & Silverton requires regular maintenance to its right of way to ensure safe operation, especially being in the remote mountain wilderness. With the only way in and out of the Animas Canyon being by foot, river, or rail, the Durango & Silverton requires work trains to be run in order to maintain the line.
In mid May 2024, Dak Dillon Photography ran a photo charter that featured K-36 number 480 pulling a mixed train that replicated what a typical work train would look like on the Silverton Branch. The charter left Durango before sunrise and performed numerous runbys at various locations in the Animas Canyon before returning to Durango later in the afternoon. Additionally, we will take a ride in the cab of 480, providing a unique look of the Durango & Silverton. For this trip, 480 was equipped with a 5 inch Baldwin 3 Chime, which sounds very similar to the whistle it would have worn for many years on Denver & Rio Grande Western.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy an exciting look at a work train running in the beautiful Animas Canyon on the Silverton Branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
This video was filmed on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
Filmed & Edited by Mark Turkovich
This film may not be reproduced or redistributed in any manner.
©MPT Productions 2025
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a 45-mile long tourist railroad that operates passenger trains between Durango, Colorado and Silverton, Colorado. The Silverton Branch, as it is also referred to, was a part of the larger Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad narrow gauge system. The line runs through some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the United States with much of the trip running in the gorgeous Animas Canyon.
As with any true with any railroad, the Durango & Silverton requires regular maintenance to its right of way to ensure safe operation, especially being in the remote mountain wilderness. With the only way in and out of the Animas Canyon being by foot, river, or rail, the Durango & Silverton requires work trains to be run in order to maintain the line.
In mid May 2024, Dak Dillon Photography ran a photo charter that featured K-36 number 480 pulling a mixed train that replicated what a typical work train would look like on the Silverton Branch. The charter left Durango before sunrise and performed numerous runbys at various locations in the Animas Canyon before returning to Durango later in the afternoon. Additionally, we will take a ride in the cab of 480, providing a unique look of the Durango & Silverton. For this trip, 480 was equipped with a 5 inch Baldwin 3 Chime, which sounds very similar to the whistle it would have worn for many years on Denver & Rio Grande Western.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy an exciting look at a work train running in the beautiful Animas Canyon on the Silverton Branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
This video was filmed on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
Filmed & Edited by Mark Turkovich
This film may not be reproduced or redistributed in any manner.
©MPT Productions 2025
