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Serenity now! |
My wife and I are going to ride the Durango-Silverton RR for our anniversary this year - a 7 hour round-trip. We have the choice of buying open-air seats or indoor seats. Has anybody done this trip? We'd like to know if the open-air seating gets tiring after awhile. Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice - pull down your pants and slide on the ice. ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ | ||
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| Member |
Did it in an open car. Views are spectacular but you will get dirty riding behind a coal fired engine. | |||
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Member |
Have done that trip. Great. Been a long time ago but I think we were inside. Only downside to open air is you are behind a steam engine so you will experience the engines smoke. Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark. “If in winning a race, you lose the respect of your fellow competitors, then you have won nothing” - Paul Elvstrom "The Great Dane" 1928 - 2016 | |||
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Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes |
I'd opt for the open air. Take rain gear. I'm jealous. Would love to do that. Beautiful canyon. _______________________ “There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.” ― Frank Zappa | |||
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Ammoholic |
Either way you go it's an awesome ride! Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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Not really from Vienna |
About an hour of the open car would have been enough to ruin our vacation, according to my wife.  | |||
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| Conveniently located directly above the center of the Earth  |
I was all fired up to make the trip myself but the sudden appearance of my old Nemesis of "Edge Phobia" precluded at the last moment. We did drive up to Silverton thru the middle of some swarthy road-bicycling racer tour. Beautiful country whichever seating you get. Telluride is worth the side trip as well if you have the time. | |||
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A Grateful American |
I did way back in 19 and aught 63. Yeah, loved the train. The "clickity-clack", sleeper car, the dining car and just sitting and watching the world change out the window. Left out of Columbus Ohio, and ended up in Vallejo California. Oh, and going through the tunnels. Beyond words, and still a thrill to remember all these years later. Almost as much as flying. Saw a couple of old rusty cars that looked like they missed a curve on those skinny mountain roads. "the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב! | |||
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Membership has its privileges |
It is an amazing trip. One I highly recommend. Niech Zyje P-220 Steve | |||
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| Serenity now! |
If we book the same seats on the outbound and return trains, will we see the same sights, or does the train somehow 'turn around' in Silverton? Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice - pull down your pants and slide on the ice. ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ | |||
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| Muzzle flash aficionado  |
I did the Durango-Silverton ride back in 2012, but I booked the train-coach tour, which used the train to Silverton and a coach for the return trip. Those 2 modes of travel use different routes through the mountains and one does see different sights that way. As I recall, the train itself does not turn around, they just move the locomotive from one end to the other. (I did not experience that.) If you are wanting a lot of good photos, I'd opt for one of the outside seats. (Yeah, you'll need a shower and a change of clothes back at the hotel/motel, but that's no biggie.) https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157631316512328/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157631543439819/ flashguy Texan by choice, not accident of birth | |||
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| Freethinker |
I definitely do not like riding in open cars behind coal-fired locomotives. It’s not just the smoke, but there are little cinders in the discharge as well and it was no coincidence that removing cinders from eyes was a big deal back when that sort of long distance transport was the norm. Some of the particles are also still hot enough to damage synthetics when they reach the passengers. Even if one is seated in a covered car, it should be possible to walk to the uncovered car(s) and spend time there if desired. My wife loves that sort of train travel; me, not so much. ► 6.4/93.6 “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” — Plato | |||
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Get on the fifty! |
Try to get tickets on the Silver Vista car. Open air and has a glass roof. Also weighs something like 4 times as much as a normal car so the ride is very smooth. We have taken it twice on our trips. "Pickin' stones and pullin' teats is a hard way to make a living. But, sure as God's got sandals, it beats fightin' dudes with treasure trails." "We've been tricked, we've been backstabbed, and we've been quite possibly, bamboozled." | |||
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| Saluki |
The wife and I are booked for May 19th. We'll be staying in the Statler Hotel too. I watched it trundle back and forth for a week elk hunting a few years ago. Swore I'd be back to ride. Any suggestions on things to do for a few nights? ----------The weather is here I wish you were beautiful---------- | |||
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| Member |
The trains do turn around by backing up into a Y (the brochure spells it "Wye" ) siding. The trip was beautiful, and since it moves at a spritely 15 mph you can get good unblurred pictures. There isn't much time to visit Silverton as the train leaves about an hour after arriving, so plan your meal time around that. Light bender eye mender ___________________________________________________________ Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may. Sam Houston | |||
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| Serenity now! |
That's what I wanted to hear. Thanks! Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice - pull down your pants and slide on the ice. ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ | |||
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| Member |
I rode it the week before Elvis died, so it was a while ago. Spectacular views, you get covered in soot and may get cold on the open air car. I would ride inside. | |||
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Obviously not a golfer |
I have ridden the coal-powered train at Dollywood in TN. It's open-air. That 20-minute ride had me brushing cinders off my body for the next 30 minutes. They were EVERYWHERE. I'd go for the enclosed car, simply for that reason. | |||
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Member |
Thanks for posting all those images Flashguy, awesome! Regards, Will G. | |||
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The Karmanator |
I live about 40 minutes from Durango and go up there often. If you need any advice about where to stay or eat let me know. We could even meet up if you were so inclined. Let me know if I can help in any way. | |||
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