Fireman/Engineer for the trip, Jon Walden, sits in the fireman's window of Durango and Silverton 481 on her final photographer's train as a coal-burning locomotive. We follow the 481 in this backup move with a pan shot as the nearly 14,000-foot tall Needle Mountains peek out from the steam plumes.
The conclusion of this trip brought an end to coal-powered special excursions on the famed Silverton Branch after nearly 143 years of continuous use, as of the posting of this, the final run of 481 in its current form has yet to occur, but will be dependent on how much snow resides over this part of the country this winter.
