Rio Grande 493 to Silverton

What If?... What if the Denver and Rio Grande Western ran its largest narrow gauge locomotives to Silverton, what would it look like? Wonder no more...
In this video, we’ll follow the Durango and Silverton’s largest operating locomotive, K-37 493 as it pulled a mixed train up the line from Durango to Silverton. Catching up to the train after dawn, we got on board and pondered the views of What if the Denver and Rio Grande Western ran something bigger than a K-28 to past Rockwood. Historically, nothing bigger than those 470’s made it past that little hamlet until the Durango and Silverton took over the line in 1981. During the 1980’s the railroad brought on bigger K-36’s and a lone K-37, the 497 to the roster, with the latter being traded to the Cumbres and Toltec for another 480.
In the late twenty tens though, it was decided to bring back long unused 493 back into operation after 50 years to be an oil burner due to the changing long term climate conditions in the southwestern United states.
During September of twenty twenty one Trains Magazine sponsored a charter which featured this locomotive front and center on the first day. Meanwhile on the second day, the trip was split with the 493 mainly handling the passenger consist, and Southern Pacific 18 taking the freight portion to Tacoma where it was all put back as a mixed train. If you’d like to check out the Southern Pacific 18 on this trip, be sure to check out my other video, The Slim Princess in the Rockies.
So join us now on our trip to this look into an alternate reality of what could have once been on the Rio Grande Narrow Gauge. We'll hit up the Rockwood Shelf above Shalona Lake, The famous "High Line", Tacoma High Bridge, Tacoma, Teft Bridge (located in the canyon below Purgatory Ski Area, formerly 'Durango Mountain Resort), Needleton, Elk Park, Highball Alley, Bakers Park, and Silverton. The video ends with the train traversing the famed Rockwood Cut, made famous by Robert Redford when he jumped from it onto the top of Union Pacific's 'Overland Express' in the 1969 movie, 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. We'll also catch cameo appearances by 'Slim Princess' 4-6-0 # 18 of the Southern Pacific Railroad on loan from California's 'Carson and Colorado Railroad Museum' in the Owens Valley, one of the remnants of that railroad's narrow gauge empire. Also, we'll catch K-36 480 on the daily Silverton train at Elk Park and Tacoma.

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

A phenomenal video of the Durango and Silverton K37 Steam Locomotive #493 driving through this amazing landscape. 🎥👍👍👍

[@rusty383]

This Train is different than any other! It touches kid Spirit left inside you! Something in it brings a big smile and a happy tears flow. I am 66 now and it does the same to me from when I was 5 ! Things like this absolutely must be passed on to our kids and Grandchildren! Because it brings good for everyone concerned!

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

@@rusty383 Thanks for the nice comment. I'm also a big fan of steam locomotives. And I wish that this old and very reliable technology will be preserved for a long time.

[@r.gordontrueblood3188]

Very enjoyable to watch. The cinematography is outstanding! The visual depiction of the film was one of the best I have seen of any Durango and Silverton trip.

[@rusty383]

There is nothing like that Steam Whistle through the Mountains!

[@brianfalzon6739]

Well done!

[@WSOR10C]

Stellar video!

[@larrywyatt4595]

Very nice, Bill.

[@CoalChrome]

she sounds very different than the K-36s

[@Big_Diehl]

She does, seems more of a reverb than the others….

[@CoalChrome]

@@Big_Diehl the sound is sharper too

[@Hyce777]

@@Big_Diehl nice fresh rings mmmmmm

[@c5173]

fab film 👍

[@phatboy3718]

480: Sorry gotta go Zach (493).
493: See ya John (480).

[@michaelbozzini900]

The 497 was first, now the 493.

[@andrewc1199]

493 was the first locomotive on their roster to be converted to oil firing.