Steam & Excursion > Chasing the Durango and Silverton

Greetings,
I am might be the area of the Durango and Silverton this summer. How easy is it to chase in a car? My hope is to chase it like I did the Cumbres and Toltec a few years ago. And yes, when I chase, I do either pay for a ticket or donate. 
Thanks,
Eric 

Chasing by car is pretty much limited to the Durango-Rockwood stretch of the line. US 550 parallels the tracks from the edge of Durango to Hermosa where the grade begins. There are also a few photo opportunities between Hermosa and Rockwood - specifically the US 550 overpass and the County Road 250 crossing near Shalona Lake. Rockwood itself is accessible by a short road off 550. In Durango, there is a bike path that follows the railroad from the 15th St. Bridge to Oxbow Park. Silverton itself is accessible by car and there is a dirt road that will take you down to the entrance to the canyon where the railroad crosses the Animas River. Everything between Rockwood and Silverton is inaccessible by car.

Depending on how much time you have, parking at Rockwood and then spending some time there to walk the
track back towards Durango (less then a half mile) you can get some great locations to shoot the engine
working up grade towards Rockwood.  If you then return to Rockwood and walk above the tracks right at
the cut, you can get a great shot of the engine heading around the long curve high above the Animas
River.  You could then return to your car and head on over to Silverton and there is a good shot by
the Animas river with the tracks crossing over a wooden trestle just over the river.  You can then get
some static shots of the engine in Silverton including the engine passing by the depot.  After that
you can drive back to Rockwood and walk back up the hill and get the engine coming back on
the high line high above the Animas River.  After that you can head back down the hill and
get the engine passing by the water tower close to the highway.  Hope that helps.

the wooden trestle maybe steel next summer

Looking on Google maps and Google Earth, I see what looks like a dirt/gravel road that crosses the tracks at Rockwood and heads down to the banks of the Animas River.  Is this a possibility for getting a river level shot?  It looks as though it wouldn't be a very long walk along the bank to get the shot from down below.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looking on Google maps and Google Earth, I see
> what looks like a dirt/gravel road that crosses
> the tracks at Rockwood and heads down to the banks
> of the Animas River.  Is this a possibility for
> getting a river level shot?  It looks as though
> it wouldn't be a very long walk along the bank to
> get the shot from down below.

Private property, do not attempt.  

I really appreciate the advise. I have started to look at maps and this was a huge help.