DURANGO, Colo. — The final chapter of the long history of coal-powered trains on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad came Saturday, March 23, with a round-trip excursion between Durango and Cascade, Colo., handled by a Baldwin Class K-36 2-8-2 No. 481.
The locomotive will now be converted to oil firing, completing conversion of the roster that began with K-37 No. 493 in 2020 [see “Tests continue on first Durango & Silverton oil-burner …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 5, 2020]. The process was hastened by fire concerns, including settlement of a federal lawsuit stemming from a 2018 wildfire in which the railroad agreed to new operating procedures during periods of elevated fire risk [see “Durango & Silverton settles lawsuits …,” News Wire, March 22, 2022]. The railroad has also made increased use of diesel locomotives, including four units purchased from the White Pass & Yukon.
The railroad had originally planned to keep No. 481 coal-fired until the end of its current 1,481-day boiler certification, but said earlier this year that business had reached the point that it needed to know every steam locomotive was available [see “Durango & Silverton runs its final coal-powered photo snow train,” News Wire, Feb. 16, 2024].
