https://www.foxnews.com/us/injured-colorado-hiker-missing-2-nights-rescued-train-passenger-spots-her-riverbank

For those who, like me, want nothing to do with Fox News:

https://denvergazette.com/outdoors/newlywed-train-conductor-and-firefighter-save-stranded-hiker-in-colorado/article_f75f309e-4a4b-11ed-a9fd-237ac02ea4a4.html

If you've never ridden on Durango and Silverton it's well worth the trip.  Lunch in Silvertson and the ride back.

We've taken it several times.  The parlor car is worth the extra charge.

The Cumbres and Toltec is another nice steam ride.  Somewhat longer but a lunch stop in the middle of the trip.  And a bus ride back to your starting point in Chama.

Noel

Yeah , that sounds like fun and longer rides than the ones we taken here in California. I think I have an old viewmaster reel where one old train goes up a very steep incline in New England which makes for great 3D. When Jay Gould lost the Union Pacific he built up a new transcontinental line through California to Chicago to compete, but they later abandoned the track which ran hundreds of miles East West in California. You can get vertigo just walking or biking along that old roadbed.

Interesting story. Silverton is one of my favorite places and I have some great memories from various adventures and hikes/horseback rides I have made in the region over the years. Walking the streets of Silverton is like stepping back in time. Most of the roads aren't even tarmacked. I highly recommend visiting to anyone who likes old wild west history. The hike up to the eerie ghost town of Animas Forks is worth a visit too.

Another great thing to do is the drive between Ouray and Silverton along the Million Dollar Highway. There is some epic scenery along the way and a lot of abandoned mines if you are into that sort of thing (which I very much am 😁 ). Anyway, I'll stop there. I could talk all day about that part of Colorado.

I agree Steve.  The Durango - Silverton - Telluride areas are great for history, wilderness hiking and camping and just looking around.

Once Betty and I rode the Durango & Silverton to one of the flag stops where back packers and hikers could get off and go tramping into the mountains.  Or just to fish for a day in the Animas River.

We hiked in and found a jewel of a lake and stayed there for a couple of days.  Then we hiked back to the tracks and flagged down the train that was returning to Durango.

Noel

11 hours ago, Fielder said:

You can get vertigo just walking or biking along that old roadbed.

There are a lot of old narrow gauge roadbeds in Colorado to hike or bike on.  One that starts in the suburbs of Denver. It follows the South Platte River from the head of Chatfield Reservoir all the way up South Park.

Noel

Noel

14 hours ago, birdguy said:

The Cumbres and Toltec is another nice steam ride.

Isn't that the one which has some "cogwheel' section to help the engine handle the steepest part of the line? 

I rode the cogwheel railway from Aigle, Switzerland to Leysin-Fedey, Switzerland several times each week. It was just so much fun!

 

No Fr Bill. the Cumbres and Toltec is just plain steam narrow gauge the entire trip.  The only cogwheel train I know of is the one that goes up to the summit of Pikes Peak from Colorado Springs.

I've never ridden it but I've driven the road up to the summit of Pikes Peak.  You'd be surprised how much power your automobile loses at 12,000 feet.

Noel

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

You'd be surprised how much power your automobile loses at 12,000 feet.

Some might be surprised, but I remember my dad having to change the jets in our 1953 Pontiac Chieftan whenever we crossed the Rockies. If he hadn't changed the jets, we could have walked faster!