The Denver & Rio Grande Railway's forty-five-mile spur from Durango to Silverton, completed in nine months and opened in July 1882, sharply reduced shipping costs and became a lifeline for Silverton's mining economy and residents by providing dependable access to goods and supplies. Built as a narrow-gauge line with rails three feet apart to handle the Rocky Mountains' difficult terrain, it reflected William Jackson Palmer's effort to bring narrow gauge to Colorado and greatly improved the speed and efficiency of freight service over wagons and pack mules. Between 1882 and 1899, four narrow-gauge lines served Silverton and tied the town more firmly to Colorado's commercial network. After World War II, mine closures and the rise of automobile travel nearly ended service on the branch, but its dramatic scenery drew growing tourist interest in the late 1940s. Known today as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, it became one of Colorado's best-loved vacation destinations and carries nearly 200,000 passengers each year in an experience of nineteenth-century rail travel.