Scenic USA - Colorado Eureka and Palisades #4 |
Photos by Chris Muller Chris's Eureka & Palisade Gallery |
Cited more often than the telegraph, the railroads are credited for uniting a nation. By 1850, American railroads epitomized new technology, allowing all classes to travel in luxury. Behind this extreme advancement of transportation was the American 4-4-0 Locomotive. Leading trains for more than 50 years, the most indelible image occurred at Promontory, Utah, where the Union Pacific's #119 met Central Pacific's Jupiter Locomotive, joining America's east and west with the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
Here, a rare wood burning Baldwin, built in 1875, tackles the rails of the Durango and Silverton Railroad. As of 2012, the Eureka and Palisade #4 was the oldest operating narrow gauge 4-4-0 in the United States. After a painstaking five year restoration project by Dan and Ditty Markoff, the E&P #4 made its debut at the California State Railroad Museum during Railfair 91. Reaching speeds close to 40 miles per hour, this classic locomotive has gone on to thrill rail fans every year. Another highlight on the locomotive's resume, the historic engine also enjoyed the spotlight in the Ken Burns special film entitled The West.
Here at the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the E&P #4 returned for the 12th annual Railfest Celebration, bringing together fans, western culture and railroading history. This scene captures the Eureka and Palisade #4 on the High Line near Rockwood, Colorado.
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