Scott Turner Wrote:
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> Warning! I'm about to commit heresy on the NGDF.
>
> 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.
I've been a volunteer on the Talyllyn Railway - the one that really started it all and which was totally derelict - since 1968.
I came to Colorado (which I loved) this year mainly to fulfil a dream and travel on the Cumbres and Toltec and (most importantly) the Durango and Silverton. I loved the D & S and hope to be back soon. It was a fantastic experience.
Michael
www.michaelhoward.me.uk/gallery
