Steamscape - The High Bridge (MP 471.23)
DRGW Consolidation #315 hauls a mixed freight and passenger consist across the Animas River at Tacoma, Colorado. Originally built as a wooden trestle in 1880, the bridge you see here was upgraded to an iron truss in 1894. It was designed to handle the weight of typical locomotives of the day and the Baldwin C-18 in this photo is pretty representative of that size. Nearly a century later, in 1981, when the old Silverton Branch became property of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the existing truss was beefed up to handle the larger K-36 and K-37 locomotives that the new tourist line intended to run, both of which are considerably heavier than little 315.
Steamscape - The High Bridge (MP 471.23)
DRGW Consolidation #315 hauls a mixed freight and passenger consist across the Animas River at Tacoma, Colorado. Originally built as a wooden trestle in 1880, the bridge you see here was upgraded to an iron truss in 1894. It was designed to handle the weight of typical locomotives of the day and the Baldwin C-18 in this photo is pretty representative of that size. Nearly a century later, in 1981, when the old Silverton Branch became property of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the existing truss was beefed up to handle the larger K-36 and K-37 locomotives that the new tourist line intended to run, both of which are considerably heavier than little 315.