Happy 75th Birthday and Valentines Days

My wife surprised me with tickets on the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad's Knight Sky car.  It goes a bit past half way to Silverton from Durango to "Cascade" where there is a wye to turn the train around for the return trip.  Between Cascade and Silverton, the tracks are not passible and so during the winter the train only does the Cascade turn. But it has probably the most dramatic landscape of the whole railroad.  Note the extra on the high line.

Amazing that the DRG built this extension to Silverton in a year - and over the winter!  With guys hanging down on ropes and setting off black power to blow out the path.  Amazing.

What a bucket list check off the ride was.  Starting with great coffee, a lemon cupcake that was awesome, and a box lunch that was four stars.  Perfect day - blue sky and not very cold.  You can see the snow up there is melting and we all hope for more this month and next.  

Adding to the fun this was the inaugural run with a train for the newly converted locomotive #493.  It was converted to oil from coal. Coal firing has caused problems here as the climate warms, forests dry, and snow is not prevalent.  A cinder out of a loco can make a big problem and has.  This oil fired loco was just the same as the coal fired ones.  Same wonderful "bark" when it is working on the hills, same whistle, same smoke.  Just no cinders.  Cost north of a million dollars to convert and I think more locos will follow suit.  Just a sign of the times.

Anyway, what a great gift.  I mentioned it many months ago that on a big birthday (like 75) I would love to ride this car.  Glad my wife heard it and acted.  A day to remember.