In the 126 years since the tracks were laid, not a summer has passed without the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad making the journey between its namesake towns. And owner Al Harper isn't about to let a shaky economic outlook put a damper on the 2008 season.

"It's going to be a challenging year for everyone, but we're also very optimistic, and I think we're going to see a different pattern in who's riding the train," Harper said.

Harper spoke Friday during the D&SNG's annual Narrow Gauge Days celebration at the train depot, a day before the first train of 2008 heads north to Silverton this morning after off-season service to Cascade Canyon. While several hundred locals enjoyed complimentary hot dogs and music from the Bar D Wranglers, Harper speculated on the effect high gas prices and a possible recession could have on ridership.

"I think we're going to see a lot more people showing up at the last minute, which makes you a little nervous. But as long as they show up, that's what counts - it's just difficult to predict," he said.

Marketing Manager Andrea Seid said her efforts will be focused on potential riders from the immediate region, specifically the Denver and Albuquerque markets, because national predictions for the summer tourist season indicate that many vacations will be taken closer to home than in recent years. She said advance reservations for May are up 2 percent from last year, but the numbers for later in the summer are slightly down.

"We're really not panicked about it. We expect to see a lot more people from Colorado and our neighboring states who want to stay in their backyards, so to speak," she said.

"The trend has been that people aren't making their plans so far out, especially for car trips. They get to a destination and say, 'Now what do we want to do?' And we hope they come here."

If last summer is any indicator, they will come. Seid said during the peak months of July and August, the D&SNG averaged about 200 walk-in riders per day. During those months when four trains are running, between 1,200 and 1,400 people make the trip to Silverton each day.

Last year, more than 163,500 rode the train on its regularly scheduled runs, but Harper said that number swelled to more than 193,000 counting special-event trains like Thomas the Tank Engine, the Great Pumpkin Patch Express and the Polar Express.

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