Riding the Durango & Silverton was terrific. Touring the Roundhouse was even better.
First, we saw the train yard and the shop where cars are serviced and rebuilt. Here I am in front of the truck for a passenger car, which is getting its wheels reground, brakes checked and other parts inspected.
Then we saw the outside of the roundhouse and the turntable.
I got to operate the turntable in the 55 second video below. I never thought I would work a real turntable.
The inside of the roundhouse was really cool. Here is a picture of the old section, complete with wooden timbers and a crazy diesel they have been building from parts for years.
They service the steam trains every couple of weeks, here in the roundhouse. This lets them rest while the other half of the fleet carries passengers.
On the tender of one steam engine is a doghouse. It is the wooden box on top of the tender in the photo below.
Our guide says this is where the phrase "in the doghouse" comes from. The least liked crew member rode in the doghouse and watched over the cars as the train travelled through freezing rain and snow. There is no heat in the doghouse. It did not sound like a fun job.
I loved their Frankensteins. These are engines built from spare parts. Like the monster, a Frankenstein is an ugly engine that does not look like a real life engine. None of the Frankensteins at Durango & Silverton have come back to life yet.
This was a really fun tour, and if you ever come to Durango, you should take it too.
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