After fire, Colorado tourist railroad looks to oil, diesel

DURANGO, Colo. – The owner of a famous tourist railroad in Colorado is making plans to keep his trains running during periods of high fire danger.

The engines that currently run on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in southwest Colorado are fueled by coal. Coal-fired engines can produce sparks that could ignite a wildfire.

This summer, the railroad shut down for over a month while a huge wildfire raged and local officials enacted fire restrictions that banned coal-fired engines.

The famous trains draw a lot of tourists and the shutdown was a big economic hit.

Railroad owner Al Harper tells the Durango Herald he plans to spend as much as $6 million on oil- and diesel-powered engines that will stand in for the coal-fired engines as needed.

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Information from: Durango Herald, http://www.durangoherald.com