DURANGO, Colo. — On Sept. 2 and 3, Trains Magazine will sponsor Extra 493, a two-day event on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad that will be the first photo freight charter for the K37 steam locomotive brought back to life in 2020. Visiting narrow gauge 4-6-0 Southern Pacific No. 18 also will make a guest appearance on the second day of the event.
The train will consist of four or five freight cars and two or three coaches. It will stop frequently for photos at scenic locations in the Animas River canyon. For these two days only, locomotive No. 493 will be lettered Rio Grande. The train will overnight in Silverton, where a night photo session will take place.
“We had planned to operate this special last year, but the pandemic made this impossible,” says Trains Editor Jim Wrinn. “Fortunately, the Durango & Silverton was gracious in allowing us access this year. As a bonus, we can enjoy not one but two fine steam locomotives that are relatively new to the American railway preservation scene and thus have not been photographed or appreciated by many enthusiasts.”
No. 493 was rebuilt in 1928 from a 1902 standard gauge locomotive as one of 10 engines in the K37 class. It was retired in 1968. It was rebuilt as an oil burner in 2020 and is one of only two of its class in operation, the other being No. 491 at Colorado Railroad Museum.
Southern Pacific No. 18, also known as the Slim Princess, was built in 1911 and operated on SP’s narrow-gauge lines in the eastern California desert. It was retired in the 1950s and placed on display in Independence, Calif. It was restored in July 2017. This is its second stint on the D&S as extra power during the high tourist season.
Tickets are $650 each, including lunch both days. Lodging is not included. Tickets are available here.
Additionally, Trains has arranged a block of rooms at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Silverton for Sept. 2 at a 20% discount. Please make your own hotel arrangements soon as space is limited in Silverton. To arrange at Grand Imperial, call 970-387-5527. This is not available online.
Trains will create a souvenir DVD out of this amazing event and the previous week’s Victorian Iron Horse Roundup at the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic. That DVD can be ordered here.
