New Sparky Chronicle Logo, Said to Impart More of a Masculine Look Photo of Sparky with a Frosty Fizz Cola and Crunchy Critters Candy Bar A Website Chronicling the Day to Day Struggles of a Stuffed Animal Who Believes He's Alive!

Previous

Home

About Sparky

Return to Travel

Contact Sparky

Next Page 

Durango to Silverton Steam Train

The old folks and Sniffy took this steam train ride several years ago, so this time everybuddy decided to go and take the train ride that takes you from Antonito, Colorado, to Chama, New Mexico.

It is a very dramatic train ride where they take you from Durango, at the train station right next to McDonald's, and you end up in Silverton, about 50 miles away, around lunch time.

Jim took this ride in 1953, and it was essentially the same this time, except that he was smart enough not to keep sticking his head out the window and getting his eyes full of coal cinders and smoke.

You can find out more about this great train ride by clicking on their website below:

Durango & Silverton Train

Sparky's Colorado Vacation, Page 4
by Sparky

Silverton, Colorado

Silverton is the end of the train ride that comes here from Durango, but we didn't take this time cuz we took it another time a couple of years ago, but there are a lot of other touristy things there, as mentioned in the column at left.

When the train arrives just before noon, there are excellent photo opportunities for avid photographers, who sometimes follow the train and take zillions of photos of its every twist and turn.

In the downtown area are numerous shops, stores and restaurants catering to every whim imaginable.  Gift shops combined with ice cream stores, art galleries stuffed into old houses, and lots of other seemingly odd combinations.

Old Hundred Mine Tour

We did, however, decide to check out the Old Hundred Mine Tour, and the old folks went on the mine train, and Sniffy was hiding in Jim's jacket pocket, cuz he reely likes anything to do with mines, tunnels and caves.

There's only jest a few pictures below cuz they have a reely good website, and you ken check it out at:

Old Hundred Mine Tour

Sparky's Old Hundred Mine Tour Photo Album

Entrance to the Old Hundred Mine
1. Entrance to the Old Hundred

Extra mine trains to take tourists into the mine
2. Extra mine trains

Tour guide demonstrating air powered hoist that drags rocks around
3. Machinery demonstration

Sniffy sitting on dynamite machine
4. Sniffy on blasting machine

PhoDetonator that makes dynamite blow upto #4 shows Sniffy sitting on one of those dynamite machines that makes things blow up.  He is blurry cuz he was so scared that if he moved it might blow up the entire mine.

And, the miner that explained things on the tour told everybuddy to watch out for some little guys called "Tommyknockers," who hide out in mines and make things go wrong.  Like, when you go to eat your lunch, somebuddy already ate most of it, and your coffee has salt in it.  Or your hammer handle is greasy and you can't use it very well.  Or, back in the reely old days, your candle that you have on your hat, or hanging from a little holder stuck in the wall, will suddenly blow out and leave you in the dark.  They also steal sacks of gold when they get a chance.

Tommyknockers are a lot like Irish Leprechauns, except that Leprechauns drink Irish Beer, while Tommyknockers always drink the kind of whiskey that miners and cowboys drink.

After the mine tour we took off to get to Chama, New Mexico, where the next train ride would start out from.

Silverton
Silverton Visitor Information Center
Silverton is an old mining town that has turned its attention to the mining of tourists.  It has a beautiful Visitor Information Center, and it is even open during normal hours. 
Visitor Center sign that says it is OPEN
(Many small towns seem to only keep their visitor centers open for a few hours each week, like Wednesday from 3:00 to 5:00, or something like that).

You can find out more by clicking on the Silverton website below:

Silverton, Colorado

Previous

Head to the next page for more exciting action! --Sparky

Next Page

Return to Travel

This is Page 4       Click here for Page:    1    2    3    --    5    6

Return to Travel 

 

Home

All Travel

Train & Yard

Adventures

Accidents

Inventions

Bike Stories

Photos

About Sparky

D-I-Y Page

Contact Me

FAQ's

Copyright (C) 2004 by James J. Meagher