First train reaches Silverton, Colorado

On May 29, 1883, the Denver & Rio Grande Railway drove the final spike on its 3-foot narrow-gauge extension from Durango to Silverton, Colorado. Engineered by Otto Mears through the rugged Animas Canyon, the line featured steep grades and spectacular trestles. It hauled silver ore and later became a premier tourist route. Today operated as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, it preserves authentic K-36 and K-37 Mikado locomotives and remains one of the most scenic heritage railways in North America.