Of shortlines & NG, Ely and Durango

Warning! I'm about to commit heresy on the NGDF.

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Not to downplay Nevada Northern, but the scenery along the Durango & Silverton is just a tad more beautiful, no? And to me a lot more interesting of a line.

If by "beautiful", you mean more obviously spectacular - the kind of thing the average tourist thinks of when they think western mountains - then yes. Absolutely. However, there're all kinds of beauty, and I find the Steptoe Valley, and the mountains to the west of Ely to be beautiful in their own right. But then, I'm one of those who loves the east end of the C&TS.

And frankly (and here's where I'm REALLY gonna get myself in trouble), I find the NN a FAR more interesting line AS EACH CURRENTLY EXISTS. If Durango still looked the way it did in, say, John West's picture from October of '62, I'd feel much differently. But to me, Durango is a sad shadow of what it once was, whereas the Ely yards and facilities are an incredible time-capsule, largely unchanged for decades.

I'm not knocking the D&S - I think it's a fine line with great scenery and I've enjoyed every ride I've taken on it, but Durango's grown up far more than I like, while the RR's part of it has shrunk more than I'm comfortable with.

A final thought to hopefully redeem myself with the hardcore NG'ers. The appeal of the NG to me is as much the rural, struggling, make do with what you've got, anachronistic nature of it as it is the actual track gauge. (Edit - Oh, and add in an interesting historical record.) I find small SG shortlines to have the same basic appeal. I've always thought the Narrow Gauge & Shortline Gazette got that part right.

Scott



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2007 08:14AM by Scott Turner.