\n <\/p>\n
Al Harper, owner of the<\/p>\n
In June and July, the railway did not run for more than 40 days, after the massive 416 Fire broke out June 1. Extreme drought gave rise to extreme fire danger, prompting La Plata County to enact restrictions that ban coal-fired engines. As the fire burned in the San Juan National Forest, Harper\u2019s fleet of six coal-fired steam engines sat idle in a railyard, unable to infuse thousands of dollars into the Durango and Silverton economies.<\/p>\n
The losses were so great that Harper had no choice but to adapt to ensure his company could operate during extreme droughts. So now, the railroad is spending as much as $6 million on oil- and diesel-powered engines that will stand in for the train\u2019s traditional coal-fired engines, which are infamous for sending off cinders and starting fires.<\/p>\n
In the future, the D&SNG plans to consult with the U.S. Forest Service, local fire districts and La Plata County to determine if weather conditions pose too high a fire risk to run coal-fired engines.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a momentous task,\u201d Harper said. \u201cBut we will never be shut down again for fires.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harper, who has owned the railroad since 1998, is investing the money to make good on this bold proclamation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be no different than a car driving on a gravel road through the forest,\u201d Harper said of the decreased risk offered by oil and diesel engines.<\/p>\n
The railroad suspended service to Silverton on June 1 after the start of the 416 Fire, which has so far burned more than 54,000 acres of the San Juan National Forest northwest of Durango and cost more than $31 million to fight.<\/p>\n
As of Friday, the cause of the fire was listed as \u201cunknown.\u201d But witness accounts that the fire started along the railway\u2019s tracks, right after a morning train passed by, has fueled speculation that a historic locomotive is at fault.<\/p>\n
Harper, for his part, has acknowledged the possibility that one of his trains started the 416 Fire, now Colorado\u2019s sixth largest wildfire, and said the train would take full responsibility. But, he has asked for patience as the investigation proceeds.<\/p>\n
The railroad\u2019s move to convert one of its coal-fired engines to run on oil, as well as the purchase of two diesel engines, is what many in the community called for in the days after the 416 Fire broke out.<\/p>\n
Randy Babcock, the mechanical foreman who is leading the oil conversion, said these plans had been in place for the past few years but the fire sped-up the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve been able to pull the trigger so quickly,\u201d Babcock said. \u201cA lot of the legwork was already done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Babcock and his team have a self-imposed deadline to convert the 1902 boiler made for coal to be able to burn oil by May 1, the start of the next train season.<\/p>\n
When coal-fired engines burn, they throw out hot cinders that fall to the ground and start small burns \u2013 so frequently in fact, that the train has its own firefighting tactics, such as having pop cars with water tankers follow a train to extinguish small fires and a helicopter to tackle fires from the air.<\/p>\n
Engines that run on oil and diesel, however, burn liquid that vaporizes when ignited, so there is no solid material to send off sparks.<\/p>\n
But it has been difficult to find oil and diesel engine options for the railroad\u2019s narrow gauge rail line, which is a smaller track than standard gauge.<\/p>\n
Right now, train crews are working in the downtown depot to convert an old coal-fired engine that last ran in the 1960s to run on oil. It is likely, also, that the railroad will add one or two more oil engines to its fleet over the next few years.<\/p>\n
The cost to convert just one engine is about $1 million.<\/p>\n
Beyond conversion efforts, the railroad just announced the purchase of two custom-built diesel locomotives: one to be called the \u201c550\u201d in reference to the highway that connects Durango and Silverton, and the other \u201c416\u201d in recognition of the wildfire.<\/p>\n
The purchase of the two locomotives will cost more than $3 million and will require the company to build a new $500,000 facility to be able to work on diesel engines, a first for the historic railroad. (The railroad currently owns two smaller diesel engines that are not powerful enough to make the steep mountainous trek from Durango to Silverton.)<\/p>\n
When done, Harper said the railroad will have a viable alternative when fire danger is too high to risk running coal-fired engines. The new diesel locomotives will have the same appearance as coal engines, which send off those iconic puffs of steam.<\/p>\n
On a typical day, the D&SNG carries about 1,000 people on 30 to 40 train cars to Silverton. The new oil and diesel engines will be able to haul 28 cars. Trip times will be nearly identical, Harper said.<\/p>\n
Oil and diesel engines require much less maintenance and are significantly cheaper to run than coal engines, but Harper said the railroad will always prefer to stick to its roots and use coal.<\/p>\n
The D&SNG has exclusively used coal-fired steam engines throughout its 137-year history. The railroad, though built to serve as a lifeline for mining operations in Silverton, has also catered to tourists since as early as 1882.<\/p>\n
Matt Cunningham, an executive assistant with the D&SNG, said there is a certain allure and nostalgia attached to coal-fired steam engines that cannot be replaced.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything we offer is a step back in time,\u201d Cunningham said. \u201cAnd preservation of that history is what we stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aaron Isaacs, magazine editor for the HeritageRail Alliance, a trade association for tourist railroads, said there are only about 200 railways left in North America that use coal as a fuel source.<\/p>\n
It may be easy for local residents to recognize or to forget, Isaacs said, but the D&SNG is one of the top tourist railways in the country. The preservation and history the train offers are rare, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has a national following,\u201d he said. \u201cThe terrific scenery, the ride itself and its destination to Silverton really just makes it unique.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is true, Isaacs said, that there is a certain charm associated with coal-fired steam trains and the feeling they invoke of the American West. But most people are pretty oblivious to what is powering the train.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a great deal of American romance and history on steam locomotives,\u201d Isaacs said. \u201cBut as far as what\u2019s powering it, that\u2019s the sort of thing only a small number of people would even know about.\u201d<\/p>\n