100 Years of America' Most Photographed Steam Locomotives (The Second Part): Durango and Silverton

What... Did you think I'd forget? Yes, we had the Semaphores fall on Amtrak's Southwest Chief on its isolated section of Rail Runner Tracks from the NMRX control point at Madrid to Lamy. Still, this slim shady is back with the 2nd half of our 100th Anniversary of the Durango and Silverton's K-28 locomotive class. We start the morning in the shadows of the San Juan Mountains, deep in the heart of the Silverton Caldera where we find these two centurions preparing for the day ahead. Instead of the mixed mid-train helper we came into Silverton with the day before (Check out the first part at:    • 100 Years of Rio Grande’s / Durango and Si...  ) our train is now split into two as double-heading is not allowed downhill. Leading up the now pure freight consist is 476, while sister 473 handles the Grande Gold string of San Juan coaches and the Silver Vista, the only dome car to ever ride the narrow gauge. Begining at the Silverton depot, we venture across the bridge leaving Baker's Park and head down towards the Colorado Trail at Elk Park where it ventures off Molas Pass into the Weminuche Wilderness straddling the Continental Divide. We wait for the daily Silverton Train to pass and it's off down to take on some water at the Needleton Tank before we ease on down the two-five grade (for those of you playing my C.W. McCall drinking game, this is where you take your drink of choice). We roll into Goblin Fire where we witness the Needle Mountains pierce the sky. Back aboard we head to Tacoma where for the uphill section to Rockwood, the trains are joined back together as they round the World-Famous Horseshoe Curve where it's 200 feet down to the river below. Once at Rockwood we rejoin the highway from Silverton and the Purgatory Ski Area and venture down to Hermosa where we follow the two trains to Durango. Once at the Durango Depot, we find for the first time in a quarter century, all three of the remaining K-28's posed for photos as 478 has been brought out of the museum on its way to restoration and a proper conversion to clean burning propan... er, waste oil. So join us as we leave Yard Limit and forget about being delay in block as there's no Distant Signal along these rails, we wont have to worry about a wild ride as this isn't one for the Coaster fan inside you. Also, look for cameos by ‪@CameraManRailFan‬, ‪@bryanburtonphotography‬ and ‪@TheBigBananaRailfan‬ (pretty sure ‪@ArkansasLocomotiveWorks‬ is in there too). 0:05 Intro 2:28 Silverton Depot 6:12 Riding the Silver Vista from Baker's Park. 7:49 The Colorado Trail 10:19 Elk Park 12:08 Junior's Kitchen 13:44 Take On Some Water at the Needleton Tank 14:54 Goblin Fire 17:00 The Highline from the Caboose Cupola 19:50 The Most Famous Horseshoe Curve in The United States* 24:35 The Hermosa Valley 30:09 A Quarter Century Reunion 35:22 Headin to the House 37:22 What We All Came Here To See, Hardcore BLOOPERS