Historic Narrow Gauge Locomotive to Operate Again in Colorado
In cooperation with Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is proudly announcing the return of former D&RGW steam Locomotive No. 340 to its rails for a brief series of trips into the Animas Canyon this June.
Loco. 340, operated by Ghost Town & Calico Railroad at Knott’s Berry Farm, arrived in Colorado via the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1881 as No. 400 for the Denver & Rio Grande Railway and served on the narrow-gauge line throughout the state until the early 1950s. It was constructed as a 2-8-0 or “Consolidation” type of wheel arrangement and was typical of late nineteenth century narrow gauge steam engines, with only three of this class remaining today. In the early 1950s, Walter Knott was purchasing outdated vintage railroad equipment from the Denver & Rio Grande Western and Rio Grande Southern railroads to serve as a centerpiece to his new Ghost Town & Calico Railroad at Knott’s. By 1952, Loco. 340 arrived to join other railroad equipment and became one of the jewels of Mr. Knott’s preservation and entertainment efforts. It was renumbered 40 for an extensive period and converted from coal to oil as a viable fuel source for its steam power, serving for over 70 years in Southern California. In 2024, 340 arrived back in its former home territory for major rebuilding in the shops of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Durango, Colorado.
After these brief Colorado excursions, 340 will head back home to Buena Park to serve the guests of Knott’s Berry Farm for years to come.
