Here is a look back at Ouray as we started back over the saddle to Silverton. The whole trip has been so spectacular. What fun and with what fun friends.
Ouray is a really quaint place....alot like Switzerland. We went shopping a little and into the ice cream store before we headed back. This little town is nestled in a little narrow valley surrounded by about 10 or 15 high jagged peaks, most being 15 thousand feet high.
This is the biggest building in Silverton and these are our funnest trip buddies you could imagine. We are having the best time going into the little shops and goofing around. But since Ouray is just over the mountain (over the windiest and most scenic road you will ever see) we decided to go over there before we went back to Durango. So here we go......
Well, we finally made it. It was so fun. Here at Silverton the trains have to turn around and go back to Durango. The trip take about 3 hours each way. What a hoot (I mean toot)
There were two stops to pick up water for the steam engines. This is the last one. From here Silverton is only about 35 minutes ahead. At times the rails go along a cut in the cliff which is only about 12 feet wide with the river about 300 feet below. The ride is spectacular to say the least.
Here we go.....up the canyon with both engines huffing and puffing for all they are worth. At this point we were about half the way to Silverton. The train is a narrow gage railroad train. The train cars are a little smaller than normal and swing back and forth the whole way.
Well, on day 2 we boarded the steam locomotive for Silverton, a mining town up the canyon about 30 miles. The train only traveled about 15 miles per hour with 2 stops for water and one to unhook one of the locomotives when we had to cross a bridge that was not strong enough to carry two locomotives. (Because our train had so many cars and people, it took two steam locomotives hooked together to pull us up the mountain to Silverton) The locomotives really burn coal and put out cinders all over the place. And they have the steam whistle which is so cool.
