RGS 20 in the Winter of 2026 | Nathan D. Holmes

What? You haven’t seen the history of RGS 20, or seen the pictures from it’s last mainline excursion in 2021? Then head over to The Return of RGS #20 first.

Back in July 2025, the Colorado Railroad Museum announced that in partnership with the Durango & Silverton, they’d be sending RGS 20 down to the southwestern corner of Colorado. Once there, it would operate on a number of the regularly-scheduled winter Cascade Canyon trains, the railroad’s own Winter Photo Train, a number of private specials, and a few Pete Lerro charters.

RGS 20 and tender arrived in Durango on separate trucks on November 18. Ironically, due to road construction through Pagosa, the loads were routed via Gunnison and then around CO 62/145/184, following the old RGS grade over Lizard Head and around into Durango. The first run under her own power was on January 5, 2026. Following those, it started pulling a number of private specials as well as regular Cascade Canyon trains on Jan 9, 31, and Feb 1.

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026

Lerro’s charter was originally a two day affair, Wednesday and Thursday, Feb 18-19, with an optional night shoot on Wednesday. Wednesday was planned as a two train day, with RGS 20 only pulling a flanger, and the photographers following along behind one of the diesels. Thursday would be a mixed train with only the 20.

Only a few weeks later, an opportunity for an additional day was added on Tuesday, Feb 17, again only with 20 and the mixed train, followed by more night shoot opportunities around the Durango depot. That was a no-brainer as well. If I’m already going down there, why not take advantage of an extra day?

Our “bonus day” started off with a few inches of fresh snow and slightly overcast skies, but the sun quickly burst through to that almost fake-looking winter Colorado blue. Unfortunately the intense light also melted off our showfall after a few hours, but we got some good use of it first thing in the morning.

I couldn’t ask for better weather for the trips. Despite having the lowest snowpack statewide and the warmest winter on record in Colorado Springs, a snowstorm showed up right on schedule, rolling in Monday night and continuing throughout the week. Of all the winter charters I’ve been on over the years, I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve actually had fresh snow. Tuesday and Thursday were mostly blue, clear skies but with fresh overnight snow, and Wednesday was a full-on blizzard up in the Animas River canyon. Photography in heavy snow and sometimes whiteout conditions is tough, but seeing a flanger train out on such a dreadful day was perfect, even if just for the experience.

Tuesday’s consist was RGS, DRGW 743 (gon), DRGW 6528 (steel flat), DRGW 717 (gon), DSNG 270 “Yankee Girl” (coach), DSNG 632 “Red Mountain” (coach), and RGS 0404 on the rear.

First run-by - working up the hill between the US 550 overpass and Shalona — First run-by – working up the hill between the US 550 overpass and Shalona

Out on the little high line along Elbert Creek, south of Rockwood

Popping out of a cut on the north end of the high line

Clinging to the edge of the world. Probably could pass for some of the RGS near Ophir.

Tank Creek from the high side of the track

A slightly different angle from the previous

A higher shot on the old toll road grade

Looking down from the old toll road, just north of Tefft

Coming back across the Animas at Tefft on Tuesday afternoon, the blue skies are gone and another snow squall is moving in.

Southbound at the last shot of the day, approaching the main section of the high line

The Durango depot at night with our flanger train

Sorry Russell, your red had stood out, so we went black and white on this one.

An old D&RG lantern as well as a old school blue flag.

After the night shoot on Tuesday, I grabbed this shot of DNSG #1, aka "Hot Shot", through the fence on the way back to the hotel. — After the night shoot on Tuesday, I grabbed this shot of DNSG #1, aka “Hot Shot”, through the fence on the way back to the hotel.

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026

For Wednesday, we ran two trains. You couldn’t have planned this if you’d tried – the heavy snow day corresponded perfectly with when the charter had planned to run a dedicated plow/flanger train. The first was a dedicated flanger run, with RGS 20, “RGS 01” (really the D&SNG/DRGW flanger OF repainted as RGS 01), and 0404 bringing up the rear. Photographers were hauled along by DSNG diesel 106 (DL535E), followed by water car 0470 (just in case), concessions car 212, and yellow coaches 291 “King Mine”, 311 “McPhee”, 257 “Shenandoah”, and open car 400. The diesel ran ahead of the plow train both directions, as 106’s plow could clear any snowfall, rocks, or debris on the track. We headed straight to Needleton in the morning and then worked our way back down to Rockwood over the course of the afternoon.

How Wednesday started - with nearly a foot of new snow and still coming down hard at Rockwood — How Wednesday started – with nearly a foot of new snow and still coming down hard at Rockwood

True Alco fans should be able to just hear this picture - gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, gurgle... — True Alco fans should be able to just hear this picture – gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…

We started with a run all the way to Needleton for the first shot to take advantage of fresh snow as far up in the canyon as possible.

DSNG/DRGW flanger OF, repainted as RGS 01 for the charters. Unfortunately RGS 0404 doesn't have the controls to operate the wings. — DSNG/DRGW flanger OF, repainted as RGS 01 for the charters. Unfortunately RGS 0404 doesn’t have the controls to operate the wings.

In my artsy caboose shot of the day, RGS 0404 at Tefft

Another view from the old toll road north of Tefft

This... might be my Christmas card next year — This… might be my Christmas card next year

One of the last shots from Wednesday before we headed for Durango

Arriving back in Rockwood, the snow had mostly stopped

Thursday, Feb 19, 2026

Thursday went back to a mixed train format, with but replaced Tuesday’s gons and flat with three old D&RGW wood boxcars instead.

RGS 20 out at the same new spot about a mile north of the big high line horseshoe curve

Another view similar to one from Tuesday, but with more snow (and more boxcars)

The opposite side at that new spot on the north end of the high line

The big high line curve from a little different direction

Coming out of the cut and on to the big high line curve

Rolling south at Goblin Fire, south of Needleton, with the namesake Needle Mountains in the background. The big one in the middle is Pigeon Peak, with Turret Peak off to the right

A different angle at Goblin Fire. Full honesty- Ophir the Snowman got removed via Photoshop. I didn't see the angle until the snowman was already there. — A different angle at Goblin Fire. Full honesty- Ophir the Snowman got removed via Photoshop. I didn’t see the angle until the snowman was already there.

Sometimes something truly disgusting forms art. You know that yellow snow they warn you about? If you get a dripping leak in the retention tank above a rotating bearing in sub-freezing conditions, you get yellow icicles.

While I love the shot of RGS 20 and freight on the high bridge, it suffers from the fact that the RGS never had any big iron or steel bridges

Last light and the last run-by for the day at the secret spot.

As we were waiting at the Goblin Fire clearing, some miscreants who shall not be named (but may have included a rare sighting of the Sasquatch of the San Juans) built a snowman between the rails and named him – appropriately for the RGS – Ophir. Ophir obviously never got the safety briefing about staying out of the gauge, and had an unfortunate encounter with a southbound train. Remember kids… stay off the tracks.

The D&S Winter Photographers Train – Feb 20-21, 2026

The railroad’s own winter photo train operated the Friday and Saturday after the Lerro charters, potentially giving folks five days of photo trains if they did all of them. After many years of the D&S winter photo trains being – how do I put this nicely – extremely oversold with way too many people for the photo lines available, I chose to pass. However, once down there I learned that this year they’d limited the number of tickets to something more manageable – about the same as the Lerro days – to give two more quality days. By that time, everything was long ago sold out, so… oh well, live and learn.

The D&S photo train on Friday ran much like ours on Wednesday – a mixed consist behind RGS 20, including – in order – DRGW 3134 (box), DRGW 3631 (box), DRGW 3275 (box), DRGW 743 (gon), DRGW 6628 (steel flat), DRGW 717 (gon), and then caboose RGS 0404. The photographers riding along behind diesel 106 with the same yellow coaches, but with caboose DRGW 0540 added on the end. Saturday was more like Thursday’s train, with just RGS 20, the yellow coach set minus the open car 400, and then RGS 0404 on the end.

I wound up grabbing a few photos of them coming and going, but nothing all that spectacular. Just the usual valley/town shots.

Friday's returning photographer train at the Shalona crossing. RGS 20 is behind it at Rockwood — Friday’s returning photographer train at the Shalona crossing. RGS 20 is behind it at Rockwood

About 15 minutes later, here comes 20 with the day's freight train — About 15 minutes later, here comes 20 with the day’s freight train

A cloud got us at the last second at Hermsa, so going black and white with some graduated density filtering saves the day.

Rolling back across the valley at Trimble

Saturday's D&S Winter Photography train rolling across the valley down around Home Ranch — Saturday’s D&S Winter Photography train rolling across the valley down around Home Ranch

Just another shot of 20 against the snow and blue sky

Coming across the Animas and into Durango

One last shot of Saturday's train — One last shot of Saturday’s train

A little surprise later that night - they were using 106 to switch in the yard and we heard a sudden "clunk" - split the switch or dropped a wheel, not sure, but had a bird's eye view. — A little surprise later that night – they were using 106 to switch in the yard and we heard a sudden “clunk” – split the switch or dropped a wheel, not sure, but had a bird’s eye view.

This work is copyright 2026 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.