The Denver and Rio Grande Railway was founded in 1870. Under General William Jackson Palmer, it developed an extensive narrow gauge network throughout Colorado. Its railroad lines brought growth and prosperity to the West's wide-open spaces and mountainous terrain. By choosing narrow gauge track, with 3 feet between rails, over standard gauge, with 4 ft. 8½ in. between rails, Palmer was able to lay track quickly in sharp curves through the mountains. Construction of the 45-mile line from Durango to Silverton began in the fall of 1881, and crews reached Silverton in July 1882 after completing the line in just 9 months. Eighty years later, in 1962, the railroad unsuccessfully petitioned the PUC to abandon the line. Charles E. Bradshaw, Jr. bought the railroad from the D&RG in 1981 and renamed it the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. He made needed improvements to the track and equipment and increased service. In 1997, Bradshaw sold the D&SNG to First American Railways, Inc. In 1998, American Heritage Railway owners Carol and Al Harper purchased the line and became its current owners, continuing to guard the area's cultural heritage through stewardship of the railway that put Durango on the map.