There's a reason why they call it "The High Line." Engineer Dan Markoff has an eagle eye on the track as he cautiously guides his Eureka & Palisade #4 "Eureka" around the High Line horseshoe at Milepost 469.6, in Rockwood, Colorado. Eureka is hauling a special photographic excursion during the Durango & Silverton's Railfest 2010.
Yes, there is a good reason why this stretch of track is referred to as the "High Line." The right-of-way is literally carved into the side of a rock wall, several hundred feet above the Animas River, which you can see on the right side of the photo. There's a spot, just behind the train, from which the passengers in the coach literally cannot see anything below the train, except the river. Fortunately, there's a permanent slow-order in this stretch of track, and there's guard rail installed to keep the train contained on the roadbed, should any of the wheels part company with the railhead. As precarious as it looks, I don't believe there's ever been a serious problem here, thanks to the caution of the professional railroaders who have operated here for over 130 years.
