Take on some water at the Needleton Tank
On a sunny February afternoon, a northbound Denver & Rio Grande Western Flanger Outfit approaches the massive water tank at Needleton, CO (MP 484.4) amidst relatively thing snow cover. This little re-enactment was conducted on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad's February 2025 Winter Photo Train event and was the first time in anyone's recent memory that any train from the D&SNGRR had come this far north in February. The railroad typically stops running trains to Silverton, CO in late October each year and does not return until late May. This is primarily because of the heavy snows that typically occur here in the San Juan Mountains, as well as the significant danger of avalanches and slides. During the winter of 2024-2025, a dearth of snowfall allowed this special train to make it this far without even a pilot plow on the locomotive. Although a single snowstorm had dumped perhaps 2 feet of snow here a week earlier, a subsequent, rapid warm-up left the snow depth here around 6-8" on this day.
It is important to note that the big wooden water tank pictured here is no longer in active use. Although the railroad maintains it cosmetically as a historic artifact, the actual watering of steam locomotives on the present-day passenger trains is conducted at a newer, steel tank arrangement, which is several hundred yards north of this location.
Take on some water at the Needleton Tank
On a sunny February afternoon, a northbound Denver & Rio Grande Western Flanger Outfit approaches the massive water tank at Needleton, CO (MP 484.4) amidst relatively thing snow cover. This little re-enactment was conducted on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad's February 2025 Winter Photo Train event and was the first time in anyone's recent memory that any train from the D&SNGRR had come this far north in February. The railroad typically stops running trains to Silverton, CO in late October each year and does not return until late May. This is primarily because of the heavy snows that typically occur here in the San Juan Mountains, as well as the significant danger of avalanches and slides. During the winter of 2024-2025, a dearth of snowfall allowed this special train to make it this far without even a pilot plow on the locomotive. Although a single snowstorm had dumped perhaps 2 feet of snow here a week earlier, a subsequent, rapid warm-up left the snow depth here around 6-8" on this day.
It is important to note that the big wooden water tank pictured here is no longer in active use. Although the railroad maintains it cosmetically as a historic artifact, the actual watering of steam locomotives on the present-day passenger trains is conducted at a newer, steel tank arrangement, which is several hundred yards north of this location.