Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad
National Historic Landmark

Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad

Durango, La Plata County, Colorado
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000247

About this property

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Company, often abbreviated as the D&SNG, is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railroad that operates on 45.2 miles (72.7 km) of track between Durango and Silverton, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The railway is a federally-designated National Historic Landmark and was also designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1968. The line from Durango to Silverton has run continuously since 1881, although it is now a tourist and heritage line hauling passengers, and is one of the few places in the US which has seen continuous use of steam locomotives. The route was originally opened in 1882 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) to transport silver and gold ore mined from the San Juan Mountains. The line was the "San Juan" extension of the D&RG 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge line from Antonito, Colorado, to Durango. The last train to operate into Durango from the east was on December 6, 1968. The states of New Mexico and Colorado purchased 64 miles of track between Antonito and Chama, New Mexico, in 1970, which is operated today as the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&TSRR). Trackage between Chama and Durango was removed by 1971 and the route is now the Tracks Across Borders Scenic and Historic Byway. In March 1981, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) sold the line and the D&SNG was formed. Today, the D&SNG, along with the C&TSRR, are the only two remaining parts of the former D&RGW narrow-gauge network. The railroad has a total of ten narrow-gauge steam locomotives (eight of which are operational) and ten narrow-gauge diesel locomotives, six of which have been acquired since 2020, on its current roster. Some rolling stock dates back to the 1880s. Trains operate from Durango to the Cascade Wye in the winter months and Durango–Silverton during the summer months. Durango depot was built in January 1882 and has been preserved in its original form.

Location

Durango, La Plata County, Colorado
37.38123, -107.74378

Categories

COMMERCEENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Smiley Junior High School
Industrial
10.2 mi
Colorado Ute Power Plant
Industrial
10.3 mi
Durango High School
Modern
10.3 mi
East Third Avenue Historic Residential District
Listed
10.4 mi
Ochsner Hospital
Industrial
10.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad listed on the National Register?

Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad?

Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad?

The period of significance for Durango-Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1881.

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