OLD STEAM POWERED MACHINE SHOP 45 Piston Rings & Narrow Gauge Dreaming 

Thanks for another excellent video in shop and outside. What I found most interesting is the number, size and sophistication of specialized machines just for railroad purposes designed and built in the same period as the locomotives and still being in operation in that maintenance shop. This shows not only some technical aspects of running a railroad but also economical aspects considering the efforts to keep a railroad and its maintenance equipment in operation indefinitely. I bet you would have liked to swap position with Joe for a while in shop and on the locomotive. :-) It must be very satisfactory to experience that your efforts for your channel and well earned recognition within the steam community are paying back "dividends" in the form of being granted privileged access. Congratulations for all those of your achievements.

Millions of videos out there, and I’m watching this in, amazement, that you are keeping this lost art, alive!

Oh what an awesome engineer. Great trip!

What a great trip. Thanks for taking us along

Dave thank you for all your efforts!!!!

This one was pretty complicated and it didn't load up right, so I deleted, fixed and reloaded it again......Dave

That was a nice tour of the shop. Thank you Joe. Another great video. Thank you for sharing.

A great show ! !! Smart young man !!

Good stuff enjoyed it very much

Just does not get any better than this. Thanks Dave

Thanks for another great video, loved the narrow gauge stuff. Can't wait for more on the piston rings, very interesting.

Thank you for the video about the railroad line, I really enjoyed it thank you again

Spectacular video!

That tour is just awesome.

Thanks for the ride along!

Thank you for that journey Dave it was amazing.

As always an amazing show. Thank you for your knowledge and time .

Very beautiful scenery there in Colorado. Awesome! Love it!!

That looked like a one in a million trip.Beautiful scenery too. Thanks for sharing.

Good video. I enjoyed the piston ring turning and the train ride. Thank you for sharing it.

I get great joy out of seeing someone enjoy something as much as you enjoyed your trip to Colorado. I would have liked the steamer trip as well, maybe some day I will. Thanks for showing and sharing with us.

Dave, Absolutely Awesome video everything was so enjoyable, beautiful scenery to watch, thanks for sharing.!.!.!.

Excellent video! Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Way cool look at an actual loco shop. Glad you got to go in there!

Another top notch production Dave. What a treat the train rides were.

Great shop tour and railroad ride. The ring turning was good to. Enjoyed thanks Dave for sharing.

This was a good one, enjoyed the train ride also.

Great video, thanks for adding the railroads and shop tour!

what an beatifull track.

WOW!!! really great video! With a strong steam era RR interest myself, I truly appreciate all the video of your trip. Many thanks!

that is some incredible scenery, and amazing engineering, as you say still "operational" very cool

I thought I saw an upload earlier and it disappeared. So stoked for another episode!! Boring mill looks really nice, Dave!!

Oh my God, Dave. Best episode ever...all segments. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

There's that great intro music again. Time to learn something cool!

I sure don't have enough thumbs up for this one , EPIC AWESOME !! I SO ENJOYED EVERY BIT ..

Ain't nothin' finer than the sound of the locomotive whistle echoing up the canyons!

I can totally agree with you on the Durango/Silverton railroad. I've ridden it 4 times and if I were physically able I'd do it again. No matter how many times you do it there is always something new to see. Every family in the country should try to do that trip at least once. Great for kids and adults of all ages. The finest Italian restaurant I've ever eaten at is in Durango and It's still in business. I'd almost drive the 2500 miles just to eat there. Glad you got to do that trip.

Thanks so much. A great video.

Absolutely loved the railroad footage, I hope to experience that in my bucket. The shop tour, you must have been drooling, I was! Thanks for sharing

Thanks Dave for another great video. That is beautiful country out there, we don't have anything quite like it here in the east. I had the chance to get out there about 10 years ago, it is well worth the trip. Thanks for doing what you do!!!

Dave, Really an awesome spectacular railroad adventure & other content, something I sure would like to do thanks for sharing your video.!.!.!.

What a great tour de force Dave. Thank you. Brings to mind seeing the "Royal Hudson" 4-6-4 which is operated out of Vancouver B.C. Big beautiful steam mainline engine. Cheers.

Congrats Dave. I lived in Durango while going to Fort Lewis College and got to "live with the train". As a local, you get to experience the train year round and it is really cool how the train helps set the daily motion of the town. I worked at the Strater Hotel on main street and remember when the train would fire up in the early morning and get moved around the yard assembling the consist for the daily trains. With the wind just right, you could smell the coal smoke and tell how hot the fire was by its odor. The sounds you would hear from the yard were like a living animal. Although modern life will never be impacted by the daily motion of seam locomotives as it was in the past, there is a little bit of the past ready to be experienced. I highly recommend anyone who is thinking about making the trip to stay at the Strater a couple of days in town, get up early and take a walk down to the yard to see, smell and hear the motions of live steam.

That really is a spectacular railway Dave. Can tell from the enthusiasm in your voice how much you enjoyed it.

glad you like our state. ride from Denver to glenwood springs on newer train is nice trip also. great shop tour. so lucky we have people that love old steam power and working to keep it running. thanks for the show.

My new favorite episode, the last half seals the deal.

A great video David ! 'specially as i am an ex railman myself, so it was fantastic to see a bit of what you saw on your travels.

You sure got your moneys worth and we did TOO! Thanks, Dave! A-PLUS!

Thanks Dave for your videos! I enjoy them a lot!!! I have ridden the narrow gauge steam train that you speak of. It was more than 30 years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. A great memory for sure!

Thanks for the Colorado railroad tip. We will have to make a trip next year to check that out. My wife & I did the Virginia & Truckee Railway trip to Virginia City Nevada 3 years ago and it was a blast. That one is standard gauge so Colorado narrow gauge sounds intriguing.

Another great video, Dave!

Great video, as they say variety is the spice of life. I for one have no problem watching a "Travel video" when it shows such amazing footage. Seeing what was machined in the old days that is still running is always interesting.

Hi Dave My late father loved steam trains He collected stuff for years Always took trains Thanks

I can always count on your videos to be interesting,, our fore fathers were some amazing people to accomplish so much in the early years of industry, your channel is always reminding me of that. Thanks,

Thanks ,so very interesting to see this system in use today. Mighty durable from all indications.

Thanks for showing us your shop portion and the Durango Silverton RR part. You reminded me we need to go ride that train, it is about 600 miles from home (almost Idaho in N. Utah)

Wonderful!! Thanks Dave

Thanks for giving me another reason to visit Colorado.

Can't say enough on how much I enjoyed this video, what a great tour of some breath taking scenery, and also a wonderful look into America's past. Thank you very much!

Awesome video - Please pass along thanks to the Durango & Silverton for the shop tour - Best of both worlds for me. Glad to see they are up and running after the fire danger they had in the early summer!

Hi Dave am always looking forward to any new videos you post for all to see. I for one want to hear you speak about you machining projects and your road travels. You descriptions of what you are doing are easy to understand the gstand interesting. Just know you are appreciated, I would love to visit you and your shop some day😊

Another outstanding video Dave, Thanks for taking us along to Colorado. The east coast has a couple Railroad gems of there own as well. The East Broad Top, and the Cass Scenic Railroad don't have the Majesty of the Rockies, but they are equal in every other aspect. Its a shame the EBT is sitting dormant at the moment, but everything is there waiting for the day when all involved finally decide to get it running again. Cass has a special place in my Heart, My late Wife and I stopped there on our Honeymoon. The sound of a Steam Whistle always reminds Me of that trip. Thanks Dave.

Love the shop and the video!

Thank you ever so much for taking me a long time preciate it the video preciate it the trip and I as always I appreciate every video God bless thank you so much

I like all of your videos and appreciate your hard work in making them for us. This one was special, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Special thanks to Joe for letting us see a bit of the behind the scenes aspects of steam locomotion.

Durango/Silverton was one of me and my late wife's favorite spots back in the 1980's we went up there every year for a while on the motor cycle or Porsche from the Bay Area in California doing the big loop down through the South West back up through Durango up to Denver and back to California. We would change it up about every other year and go the reverse direction. Always looked forward to Durango and the train ride, spectacular views.

Glad you enjoyed Colorado it a great place .

Hey Dave ! Great episode. I took my wife on the Narrow gauge trip from New Mexico to Colorado on our honeymoon in 97. Thanks for all the work you do to bring us this glimpse into a quieter time.

G’day Dave boy those sheer drops as the line navigates its way around the cliff tops is something else. You’re right about the engine she has some power in her. Thanks for showing this beautiful scenery some day I would love to see it. Regards John. PS very interesting seeing their work shops great!!!

What a great video cheers. Dave

Thanks for the great video. I've Ridden the Georgetown Loop and plan on riding the D&S and C&T. I've had the pleasure to take a couple of steam locomotive cab rides. I was previously the Chief Mechanical Officer for the Branson Scenic Railway, a diesel only railway. Your shop is amazing.

Thanks Dave, I remember Durango if it were yesterday, went to College at Fort Lewis, graduating in 74. You made a fabulous video and thanks so much for sharing your railroad experience with us. I do love the old Steamers and if you ever get invited back, please show us more. Congratulations David a great show!!

Hello Mr. Richards! I found your channel about three weeks ago and love the content! I started from your first video and watch every episode! I am all caught up! I "liked" every video but decided to hold my comment until I watched this last video! I just wanted to thank you for putting out such entertaining videos and passing along all the great shop tips and tricks you have learned! Thank you so very much!

Excellent !

Excellent video, David. I've used a variation of this technique by starting with oversized stock and turning a flange. The end result is the same. No distortion from clamping pressure.

Dave you got real lucky meeting the engineer and getting the repair shop tour .On many visits to the USA over many years I still cannot get my head around just how much there is and the vast distances and area's that would take several lifetimes to see and explore . Britain/UK is just a model village compared to what you guys have on your doorstep .Could I request a video on your steam car built by your dad .

I love the casting the flange into the ring blank, anything else seem lame once you have seen that solution as it saves the machinist a headache.

Yet another great video! It is sad that some of the old stuff keeps getting replaced by new stuff (that usually does not last as long)! Keeping the Craft in Craftsmanship. ..... long may it continue!

Boy would I love to have a steam powered machine shop like that! I grew up in the last days of horse and wagon days and have always loved the ways the old timers did things.

There's ALWAYS room for Steam Locomotive content! Awesome track in those mountains

Fantastic!

I might not want to see "travelogue" in every episode, but when you can come up with material like this, go for it. Two thumbs up!

G’day Dave great bloke to show you around I would love to see inside that shop. Absolutely love the name Darango and Silverton Railway great history and I must get over there!

THANKS FOR SUCH ITERESTING VIDEO

Northeast Georgia would love to do the train ride!! Love your videos

Man! What an outstanding opportunity for you and us as well. I've just started to be interested in steam engines more so than than the diesels I grew up watching as a kid. Have bought some books and studied a bit on the narrow guage railroads that fans can actually ride on. The Silverton was one of those and I intend fully to have that same experience you did some day. Keep up the outstanding work Dave, I look forward to each new video more than the last.

Woo Hoo! The videos back up! 👍

Cast iron machinists and coal miners looked about the same art the end of the day. My first industrial job,,, running large radial drill running off overhead line shaft,run off DC motor, electricity generated off mighty Ames compound engine,, 24" low pressure cylinder and 18' high pressure cylinder and 14 foot diameter flywheel, driving 3 foot wide leather belt. In the return tunnel under the floor, you could stand beneath the belt,,,whipping over your head, and your hair would stand up from the static. Young, crazy, foolish,, ten feet tall and bullet proof, but very much alive in the best of times!!! Keep on keepin on,, love your channel!!!

We did the durango- silverton about 20 years ago. 8hr day we just loved it. ill be back be for its all over. Bob

This! This is what we need more of--Victorian gear heads!

My Great Grand dad, grandpa and Dad worked in a Rail shop in Ogden Utah for many years prior to the shop being dismantled many years ago. Dad also worked in the Rail shop for the DOD until his forced retirement 30 odd years ago. Trains are soooo cool!

Wow, that shot of the train making the left hander out in the desert. That was really nice! (edit @31:49 )

Joe has a dream job. We just got back from Durango. Drove up to Silverton but couldn’t do the train. Dog and all Great video

The Rail Road shop reminds me of the shop the Nevada Northern Railway has in Ely, Nevada. I took a self guided tour there, as a long time machinist it was fascinating to see the old school specialized rail yard machinery. I had to extrapolate some of their uses by the context of work in or near them... I would have loved to have one of their machinists as a guide.

great video David

It´s always great, to see a new of your videos. Now it is 1.30 AM here, and i just have to see it. Stupid, in the middle of the night, but i have to. I like your hole shop, of course. But this little HBM...you should really send it over the pond. I have no room for it, but i need it so bad. And the new paint doesn´t help, now i need it even more, lol....

you starting the thread when mounting the faceplate told me a lot about you . . . good eye, good hands. [ my father was like that ]

it's nice to see someone using the old lighthouse tool post instead of spending a ton of money on a quick change. a lot of us can't afford it and it's encouraging to see the old way being used, even if it's not as convenient or easy to use. this country was built with that simple device.

David, Great episode, and especially meaningful to this old man (81 now, with the mind and memories of a man about the age of that Engineer who shared his shop with you in Colorado). Back about 1971, I was living in Orem, Utah, at the mouth of Provo Canyon, where the Heber Creeper railroad tracks still ran all the way from Provo, just south of Orem, to Heber, Utah, but had not felt a wheel on them for several years. Some Heber folks got up an enterprise to start a steam railroad, and when they shipped in a dismantled early 1900s Baldwin Mikado engine on flat cars, dug a ramp into the ground to line up the section of track on the flat car with the rails on the ground, I was overcome with steam fever, got involved as a volunteer (I was 29 yrs old then) and long story short, wound up first as Fireman, then later as Engineer on the reincarnated Heber Creeper Railroad (the nickname came from the local folks because of the speed of the trains going up and down the canyon in the old days). It was a dream come true for me and I had many experiences, good, not so good, and sometimes downright discouraging---like the end of a Night Train run down the canyon, when my locomotive flipped the left rail over onto its side and dropped the wheels down onto the ties, and, well, let me just say I didn't get home until the wee hours that night). My part-time railroad career brought me many fond memories for several years, finally sputtering to a halt when my employment took me out of state. The railroad eventually became the property of the State of Utah and is now still running, with a small diesel locomotive. All the steamer engines except one have been sold, and the new manager is somehow enchanted with railroad cars instead of steam engines; the old timers who loved steam have died, moved, or run out of patience, so the Union Pacific 618 that used to run from Salt Lake city to Evanston, Wyoming, sits in the shop area of the engine house, stripped all the way down to empty boiler, bare metal and many refurbished parts neatly located around it. Sad, to me, but I'm too old to get excited enough to do anything about it. I thoroughly enjoy your steam-operated shop and watching you do all the things you do with it. I can see why the Durango/Silverton engineer is a big fan. My dad was running a Case steam tractor and grain separator for a roaming threshing service in Barry County, Missouri the year I was born, 1939, and his stories (one about a clogged sight glass, a low place in the road and a blistered Crown Sheet and one lucky Dad) never let me forget the interest for anything steam that was part of my DNA. I'm still a member of the Ozarks Steam Engine Association back in Republic, MO and have run several steam tractors there and here in Utah, albeit always other folks' rolling stock I just subscribed to your channel, figuring if I was going to spend as much time as I typically do, watching you work, I could at least do that much to support you. If you ever get out this way (Cedar Fort, Utah, where I live now is about 30 miles SW of Salt Lake City), I'd be happy to take you to see (and ride, if you'd like) the Heber Valley Railroad and I'm sure Railroad Car Manager Man would let us tour the shop (it has some good machinery--or did have the last time I saw it) you might like to see, and if the only remaning old timer is engineer that day, probably get a tour of the (gag me...) Diesel loco. Thanks for all you do for us Armchair Machinists, Engineers, Workers of Steam equipment, and heroes of all ilks. Your channel is unique, valuable, entertaining, and inspiring, to say the least. Best wishes, Dan Metcalf Cedar Fort, Utah 801-360-0903 ko7r@juno.com

Hi David, some time ago I was watching a video of the Durango snd Silverton when one of the locos blue a piston. Very interesting.