We rode the D&SNGRR round trip from Durango to Silverton. It was a fantastic ride. We were in a covered car and even then we found soot on us after the ride.

In Silverton we ate at Natalia's. It was so-so--we had the buffet. The next day we drove back to Silverton and ate at Handlebars. Much better food--but cost about twice as much. We had their Peach Cobbler and it was heavenly. The Lunch Prime Rib was excellent.

If you drive--go the extra distance and visit Ouray. It was quite a drive up there. The Animas River is really running and there are lots of water falls.

We went to Durango, Colorado just to ride the narrow gauge train. It was well worth it. The scenery was great. The train travels up the mountain along the Animas River to Silverton. We were there in the fall. The trees were just starting to turn brilliant orange, yellow and red and you could see a light dusting of snow on the mountain tops. We suggest when you buy your tickets to get the Train/Bus option. There is about a 2 hour layover in Silverton so you can have lunch and do some souvenir shopping. Depending on when you go you might want to dress in layers as it gets cooler at the top of the mountain.

I'll agree the trip is long. We left at 9:00 am and returned to Durango at 5:00 PM. The parlor car is very nice but pricey (approx. $100 per head). The two hours you spend in Silverton is plenty. Not much there except tourist shops and restaurants. But the scenery is well worth the trip.

If you plan to take pictures, ride on the left going up and the sun will mostly be at your back (in September) and you can avoid the glare. The train turns around in Silverton, so stay in your original seat and the sun will still be at your back for the return.

Don't wear light colors - lots of soot. The cars rock from side to side constantly , so if your are prone to motion sickness you may want to reconsider.

After reading some reviews about a "long" trip, I came prepared with snacks and lunches. For the Winter Cascade, however, they do not take the train to Silverton. We departed the station at 10AM and traveled to Cascade Canyon. It was gorgeous with waterfalls, melting snow and a roaring Animas River! We stopped a little after the canyon, where everyone got out, played in the icy snow, ate lunch at the pic nic tables and took pictures of the river. What a photo opportunity. We returned to the station at 3PM, so round trip was only 5 hours. Honestly, I can't imagine a 9 hour round trip to Silverton and probably would have elected to ride the bus back. I would have liked to see Silverton and the shops.