Re: Silverton Explosion...

The supposition was it was timed to go off when the train passed. Johnnie Martinez was ahead of the train on a speeder and related to me last week that the train was indeed delayed on its way up to Silverton, but to be that precise with a rather large charge of dynamite that used a regular fuse would be a problem, I would think, especially since D&RGW operation at that point was unpredictable. Since no one was arrested, any chit chat is purely speculative. We didn't know then, and still don't.
The dynamite was placed under the baggage room floor, which was accessible by crawling in under the trackside freight platform. The BATF people found enough of the fuse and wrappings from the dynamite to determine date of manufacture and who purchased the stuff. Every stick of dynamite has the manufacturing information put in the paper wrapping and it can then be traced, as it is a controlled product.
I was on the scene within a few minutes of the explosion and just a couple of minutes later, the train arrived and continued on up to Blair Street without stopping. Of course, by then the place was crawling with police, spectators, and the fire department.
And because 1976 was the Bi-Centennial, there had been warnings that things like the Silverton train could be objects of terriorist attack, but we are all pretty sure it was a local who is stilll living here. Charming thought.