Old time railroading. Conductor Myron Henry enjoys the view and fresh air on the rear platform of his caboose on a short work train headed up the Silverton branch of the DRGW. Caboose 0505 was Myron's assigned caboose. He was the second senior conductor at Durango at that time. The senior conductor was Al Lyons, who was workiing the Silverton passenger train that day. Even in 1965 this was old time railroading with steam, wooden cars and a weed grown right of way....."thru the weeds not around them" as one engineer described the DRGW narrow gauge in its final days. This is now part of the Durango and Silverton tourist line with heavier rail and rock ballast.
The DRGW narrow gauge was the last major steam operation in the U.S. The climb over 10,000 foot Cumbres pass was spectacular, with two engines handling 70 car trains. Hopefully these images convey some of the drama of mountain steam railroading.
