Durango Always a Railroad Town….

… Maybe not.

A couple of weeks ago we had some free time and the weather was gorgeous and there were seats on the Silverton so we went down.
We got there Wednesday morning and were taking the train on Thursday so we had something we usually don’t – free time to check our Durango and Silverton as well.

What struck us was how little there was for sale aimed at the Rail Fans. Except for the excellent gift shops in the D&S Depot, the various tourist shops did not carry railroad memorabilia. We finally found the Antique Market up on Main Street 5 or 6 blocks from the station had a large and excellent Rio Grande collection in the back that we almost missed. But that was about it.

Against the Antique Market were the shops aimed at non-railroad tourists: art galleries and pottery shops and stained glass windows. At the corner of Main and College is Michel’s Crepe Wagon. Crepes in a railroad town? We tried them for lunch and they are to kill for! But he is only open from 10 to 3! No train riders as customers!

We have been told the town’s population is changing as retirees move in; people who do not care for smoky locomotives. And many of the tourists passing through are going to or coming from the Canyonlands and Mesa Verde.