The Silverton

C.W. McCall

She was born one mornin' on a San Juan summer

Back in eighteen and eighty and one

She was a beautiful daughter of the D and R G

And she weighed about a thousand ton



Well, it's a-forty-five mile through the Animas canyon

So they set her on the narra gauge

She drank a whole lot a' water

And she ate a lot of coal

And they called her the Silverton (Silverton train)



[Chorus]

Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango

Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal

Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon

See the smoke and hear the whistle blow



Well, now listen to the whistle in the Rock Wood cut

On the high line to Silverton town

And you're gonna get a shiver

When you check out the river

Which is four hundred feet straight down



Take on some water at the Needleton tank

And then a-struggle up a two-five grade

And by the time you get your hide

Past the Snowshed slide

You've had a ride on the Silverton (Silverton train)



[Chorus]

Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango

Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal

Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon

See the smoke and hear the whistle blow



[Musical interlude here. Nice violins, and the kettle drums boom well.]



[Chorus]

Here comes the Silverton, up from Durango

Here comes the Silverton, a-shovelin' coal

Here comes the Silverton, up from the canyon

See the smoke and hear the whistle blow



[If the next line seems a bit familiar, you're correct. Chug-chug, toot-toot, off we go.]



Now, down by the station, early in the mornin'

There's a whole lot a' people in line

And they all got a ticket

On The Train To Yesterday

And it's a-gonna leave on time



Well, it's a forty-five mile up the Animas canyon

So they run her on the narra gauge

She takes a whole lot a' water

And she needs a lot of coal

And they call her the Silverton (Silverton train)