Eureka on the D&S

Hi Friends,
Well, as you know I returned with Eureka to the D&S this August for Railfest 2009. We had a fabulous time! The weather, except for one day was perfect, but even the rain on that one day could not dampen our spirits to be on the rails again.

Eureka ran perfectly. The only problem we encountered was that on the second or third day the chimney on the headlamp broke after almost 10 years of use. The spare that I had would not fit propely, so I had to do without for a couple days. However, I will take those kind of glitches anytime.

Those of you who could make it, it was great to see you again. As for those who could not make it, well, I hope we can get together in the future.

I want to thank everyone at the Durango & Silverton for making our visit such an enjoyable experience. That I am able to take a 134 year old locomotive to their railroad and run it through some of the most beautiful spots on earth is the stuff dreams are made of and I am very grateful to them for the opportunity to share Eureka with everyone.

Also, I want to thank the FRA for making it all possible as well. Although we had to wait a little while to get the waiver approved, it has been a pleasure to work with them.

We look forward to returning to the D&S in the near future. In the meantime, Eureka will probably make a couple other appearances, such as at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City this December. It is also possible that another venue may be in the works.

As for now, Eureka is safely at home. I'm back to work on the combine and maybe by next year it will make an appearance with Eureka. God knows I could use the space in my shop!

I know that the economy may have prevented some from attending Railfest 2009. Nevertheless, to keep these types of events with very historic locomotives continuing into the future it is important that the faithful make every effort to suppot them. Those of us that have taken locomotives and other equipment to visit other railroads (ie, Eureka, the 315, the Goose, and Seward) depend upon everyone for their support and attendance. It is literally true that only with you can we succeed. So, you are as much a part of the team as is the crew to make these events happen. It takes a huge effort to transport a locomotive across three states and back. But, it is all worth it when we see the cameras flash and the smiles on everyone's face. So, let's continue make it a team effort keep those 19th century beauties charging down the tracks honoring those who built them, those that ran them and our wonderful country they helped build.

Dan Markoff