After nearly six years of planning and construction, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad completed a major addition to its contract shop building at the end of the summer.
The 10,000-square-foot expansion is dedicated to train car and locomotive maintenance. D&SNG also offers contract services for theme parks such as Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags, providing maintenance and repairs for their trains and others.
“We started planning this back in 2018,” said John Harper, General Manager of American Heritage Railways. “After navigating the planning and development stages, we were finally able to open at the end of the summer.”
The $3.25 million project includes $250,000 invested in two large automated computer numerical control machines, capable of performing tasks like cutting, drilling, milling and sanding.
With the added space and advanced equipment, the railroad plans to take on more service contracts and enhance its in-house renovation capabilities. Recently, the Contract Division restored a 143-year-old locomotive for Knott’s Berry Farm.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in requests for contract work,” Harper said.
Harper said the demand for contract work has doubled since last year, in part because the railroad has the capability to work on more locomotives and train cars.
Currently, D&SNG is working on three complete locomotive rebuilds and one train car rebuild.
The increased demand has prompted D&SNG to seek five additional employees, specifically welders and machinists. As of Monday, the railroad employed 46 employees in this sector.
D&SNG is also making strides toward sustainability, having installed about 50% of the solar panels planned for its facilities. In July, the railroad announced a partnership with Shaw Solar to install 868 panels as part of its green initiative.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture grant covered half of the $1.5 million installation cost. The solar project aims to reduce energy expenses and lower the railroad’s carbon footprint.
Once completed, the solar panels will replace an average of 640,000 kWh of power plant-supplied electricity annually and eliminate over 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
