HAL LOTT; Inset: STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald
On The Polar Express, the D&SNGR brings to life the award-winning children’s book. During the ride, you had better watch out because the famous jolly elf himself is likely to drop in bearing gifts for pajamawearing children who have been good for goodness sake.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
(Durango) Forerunner to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNGR), the Denver & Rio Grande Railway arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881, and by July of 1882 the tracks to Silverton were busy with train loads of passengers and freight. From the very beginning the railroad was promoted as a scenic route for passenger service, although the line was constructed primarily to haul mine ores from the mountains.
By 1885, Otto Mears completed the toll road to Ouray and additional narrow-gauge track out of Silverton was laid down in 1887. Beginning in 1893, the railroad faced slides, floods, snow, war and financial instability. As it faced abandonment in 1947, a determined staff stepped in and helped to promote tourism. Hollywood soon discovered Durango and the railroad, offering a boost to tourism through the popularity of several movies filmed in the area. In 1981, as the railroad prepared to celebrate its 100th birthday, Charles E. Bradshaw, Jr., purchased the ... continued
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