RGSrr.info

Rio Grande Southern RR - Route Summary (2)


Below, in tabular form, is a summary of the route of the Rio Grande Southern, which ran from Ridgway to Durango in Colorado. Each milepost is listed, along with elevation, towns, bridges, sidings, spurs, branches, and anything else that seems interesting. Special thanks to W. George Cook for the many sawmill references in this list, and to some of those who helped him compile them - Mallory Ferrell, Gordon Chappell, and Bob Richardson.

Like the rest of this website, this summary is a work-in-progress. Suggestions welcome. Patience recommended. So sit back, cozy up to the window, and don't lean too far out when we round the curves.

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Notes on the links:   Where possible, I've included additional links - including maps from the RGS Interactive Map site, detail links from the Narrow Gauge Circle, bridge & water tank links from the RGS Tech page, photo links from the Denver Library (which has many more photos than I've linked here), additional detail, map and photo links from GhostDepot, and others as well. Ft. Lewis College in Durango also has many photos available online. So many folks have helped provide information for this site - I'm sure I'll miss thanking someone. In addition to the websites above, Tom Casper has provided lots of links to specific RGS locations on the Terra Server site, and David Dye has posted a number of interactive maps w/photos from his hikes in the northern areas.

Have more links? Email me at

Full Map   Map2     Map3     Profile     Towns N     Towns S     Additional station info
Back to Ridgway

MP
Elev.
Station
No.
Notes
Refs
 
66.2 8737' Rico

NGC pg GhostDepot pg

(interactive map)

(topo map -1899)
(topo map -1960)
(topo map -1969)
(topo map -current)
Google Map
ACME Map
X66 Depot, frame, 71'x20'
      Photos:   p1   p2   p3   s end   s end2   n end   n end from rear   detail1   detail2   detail3   detail4  

John Maxwell took this photo 5-25-59 of the depot foundation, tank, and car bodies: pic  

Jerry Halbert took a number of photos in 1975, of various remaining bits of the area.
    Depot remains: p1  
    Tank: p1  
    Shop remains: p1   p2  

Section house - foreman, frame   Section house - laborer, frame, 20'x32'
(station grnds pic)
B&B outfit cars / section house(s?) (2 D&RG boxcar bodies) (1963 pic   1964-a   1964-b   1964-c   1964-d   )
Yardmaster's office (D&RG rpo body originally)
Tool house, frame, 10'x16'

Stockpens, 1 pen (sheep)   (pic )
Track scale, 44', 45 ton (later removed, siding used to store bridge timbers)
Coaling station, 8-pocket, 3 aux bins, s of town   (p1   p2   p3 )
Sandhouse, frame, 14'x33'
Enginehouse, brick, 6-stalls, 60'x125'
      Photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   interior   int2   int3   int4   s-end1   s-end2   e-side  
                    n-end   n-end2   n-end3   near1   near2   nw-corner  

RR photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8   p9   p10   p11   facingN   facingS   looking SE   stub1   stub2  
Town photos:   overview   above   p1   p2-from S   2000a   2000b   warehouse?  
North of Rico:   p1?   p2?  
Last ore train, Nov 17, 1951:   p1   p2   p3  

Siding, ?-car (just n of Rico)
Double-ended spur, ?-car (just n of Rico)   (p1   p2 )
      (St. Louis Mine, Rico Power Plant, Pro Patria mill, track scale)

2 yard sidings, approx 24-car and 28-car   (p1   n-end1   n-end2   n-end3   n-end4   s-end1   s-end2   )
      The yard today, south of the tank: looking N   looking S  
Scale siding, approx 16-car
Depot station siding, approx 28-car
3-stall enginehouse spurs (n), approx 13-car, 12-car, 15-car (3-way stub, looking S )
3 spurs near engineouse (n), approx 7-car, 6-car, 12-car   (pic)
Spur, 10-car (stockpen)
Wye, stem ---' (original, near original enginehouse, and used during construction)
Wye, stem ---' (second, w of main between yard & coaling st, incl 2 bridges of dolores river)
      (destroyed in floods of 1911)
Wye, stem 389' (3rd)   (photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5 )
        (1st wye was near original enginehouse,
        2nd was west of main between yard and coaling chute,
        3rd was east of main just north of 2nd's position)

Coaling chute & spur, approx 13-car (just s of Rico)   (look N, from top   look N, near bottom   )
Water tank (city fed)   ( p1   p2   p3   p4   look S   look S2   look S3   remains   looking N   Dave's pics )

Altantic mine (nearby):   c1890   2000a   2000b
        Mario photos (2004):   p1   p2   p3   p4  
Rgs v5, p335
Rgs v6, p229
Sun v2, p85
Bridge 67-AS, --' long, -' high (dolores river)
(supported one leg of 2nd wye, west of main between yard and coaling chutes)
(destroyed by flood of 1911)
Rgs v6, p235
Bridge 67-ASS, --' long, -' high (dolores river)
(supported one leg of 2nd wye, west of main between yard and coaling chutes)
(destroyed by flood of 1911)
Rgs v6, p235
67.? Bridge 68-A, 157' long, 8' high (dolores river)
(pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p236/258
67.? Bridge 68-B, 32' long, 8' high (dolores river)
(pile trestle, later filled in)
Rgs v6, p236/260
? Swan Spur Spur, 3-car Sun v2, p85
69.8 Grade runs close beside the dolores river in a narrow, fairly steep canyon, passing thru a high rock cut and sharply curving to follow the river. There was little room here for the grade, and moving it higher would've required extensive bridge and rock work - deemed too expensive in the initial race to connect Durango and Rico in 1891. The railroad paid dearly as this section was prone to severe flooding and had many washouts. Budgets to add rock ballast and riprap rock to protect the grade never came, and the line between Rico and Dolores was usually build (and re-built, and re-built again) with just dirt and mud. Even cinder ballast was unavailable. Rgs v6, 274/283
70.? Bridge 71-A, 226' long, 9' high (dolores river)
(Montelores trestle)
(crossed river at 45deg angle, and was particulary prone to wash-outs and flood damage, like this: pic)
Rgs v6, p236/280
70.19 8454' Montelores X70 Photos:   p1   p2   p3   near   n2   n3   n4   n5  
Scrapping photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   near?   n2   n3  

Spur, 22-car (later 10-car, then 2-car-washed out; 5-car spur installed 10-6-1942)
Rgs v6, p236/287
Sun v2, p91
70.? Bridge 71-B, 16' long, 8' high (dolores river) Rgs v6, p292
71.4 Bridge 72-A, 163' long, 8' high (dolores river)
(pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p294
71.51 Bridge 72-B, 157' long, 8' high (dolores river)
(pile trestle)

Photos: p1?
Rgs v6, p295
71.70 Garbareno Sawmill - Garbareno brothers

Spur, 2-car (later replaced by longer spur for bridge & building cars)
Rgs v6, p236
Sun v2, p91
71.? Bridge 72-C, 141' long, 8' high (old dolores river channel)
(pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p296
72.3 Parkers Sawmill - Enyart & Parker - c1899 to c1902 W. George Cook
73.? Bridge 74-A, 105' long, 9' high (dolores river)
(pile trestle, filled in when river channel was changed)
Rgs v6, p297
73.? Bridge 74-B, 163' long, 11' high (dolores river)
(filled in when river channel was changed)
Rgs v6, p300
74.52 8185' Kings X75 Named for the King family, local cattle ranchers

Section house - foreman, frame, 18'x28'
Secton house - laborer (boxcar body)
Tool house, frame, 10'x10'

Photos:   p1   p2?   bridge1   bridge2  

Siding, 21-car
Rgs v6, p237
Sun v2, p91
74.53 Sawmill - Enyart & Parker - c1900 to c1901 W. George Cook
74.5? Bridge 75-A, 128' long, 9' high (dolores river) Rgs v6, p301
74.? Bridge 75-B, 94' long, -' high (dolores river)
(pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p237
75.? Bridge 76-A, 125' long, 9' high (dolores river)
(pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p305
75.94 8095' Rio Lado X76 Section house
Bunk house (car-body)
Former site of Rio Lado Lodge, now the Circle K Ranch

Photos:   p1   p2  

Michael Talcott, who has driven much of the roadbed and grew up near Durango writes: "This looks to me to be the Ophir Canyon just as the Telluride branch is pproching the bridge across the creek: i.e. Goose 4 has already passed through the Ilium switch on it's way up to Telluride. The Roadbed is pretty level while it's in the valley here; it drops well below the grade of the 3.5% going up to Ophir then kicks up the full 4% after it crosses the bridge and gets over to the side of the hill. Looks very much like this area: there was a Christian picnic/Camping area that we used to go to down there which may still be extant, which is what is called Ilium, these days. The photo is, oh about 1/2 mile or more up from the Ilium switch."
Rgs v6, p305
Sun v2, p91
77.1? Bridge 78-A, 158' long, 10' high   (pic)
(dolores river)
(pile trestle)
Many of the low bridges in this area, including 78-A, did not have guard rails
Rgs v6, p317
77.7? Bridge 78-B, 127' long, 10' high (dolores river)
(pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p318
78.00 Priest Gulch Also called Priest Gulch Tank, or just 'Tank'
Priest Gulch Campground and RV Park, and Priest Gulch Ranch Camp exist here today

Photos:   p1  

Water tank   (gravity fed)   (p1   p2   p3   p4   p5 )
Rgs v6, p237/320
Sun v2, p91
80.17 7861' Bear Creek X80 Photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5  

Toward Stoner (incl a derailment on 8-8-51):   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5  

Stockpens, 2 pens (cattle, 1200' n of the siding)
Siding, 16-car
Rgs v6, p337
Sun v2, p91
Tie camp - Woodruff & Huntley - c1902 W. George Cook
Sawmill - Millard & Carter - 4/1912 to c1916
82 Ditchfield W. George Cook
83.50 Red Rock X83 The final spike connecting the north and south portions of the RGS during construction, was driven just south of here, during a raging snowstorm on Dec 20, 1891.

Photos - nearby:   p1  

Passenger shelter, frame, 10'x20', cinder platform

Short spur (stone, vegetables)
Rgs v6, p241
Rgs v6, p356
Sun v2, p91
Sawmill - George Ditchfield - c1895 to c1902
Spur (n), 10-car (5-car later)
W. George Cook
83.6 (Red Rock?)
Log shipping - George Ditchfield - c1904 to c1907
Spur, ?-car
W. George Cook
83.? Rock Quarry Spur, 5-car Rgs v6, p241
Sun v2, p91
83.? Bridge 84-A, 48' long, 11' high (Red Rock Creek)
(Red Rock trestle, originally a pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p241
85.86 7562' Muldoon X86 Photos:   near1   p2   p3   p4   p5  
Scrapping photos (near washout):   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8  
            p9   p10   p11   p12   p13   p14   p15   p16   p17  

Cattle-loading chute
Siding, 30-car (10-car later)
Sun v2, p91
W. George Cook
Sawmill - A.A. Rust - c1889 to 5/1896 W. George Cook
87.38 Stoner Creek X87 Section house - foreman, frame, 26'x30'   (pic)
Section house - laborer, frame, 18'x28'
Tool house, frame, 10'x20'

Photos:   p1   p2   p3   tank,sec-hse   near1   near2   near3   above   washout near   wash2   south1   south2   south3   south4   south5  

Spur, 4-car (none by 1928)
Water tank   (gravity fed)   (p1   p2 )
Sun v2, p91
87.4? Bridge 88-A, 64' long, 9' high (Stoner Creek) Rgs v6, p391
88.0 Sawmill - Carter - 7/1915 to ? W. George Cook
88.? Bridge 89-A, 203' long, 9' high (dolores river)
(open-deck pile trestle)
(originally a 48' Pony Truss w/pile trestles on either side, 49' on south, 95' on north)
(Rotary Plow 02 dropped thru the northern truss on 2-2-1914, w/minor injuries)
Rgs v6, p241
90.18 7361' Raymond X90 Photos:   near1   near2   near3   near4

Siding, 34-car (hay, from local ranches)
Rgs v6, p241
Sun v2, p91
91.? Bridge 92-A, 284' long, 11' high (dolores river)
(two 64' Pony Truss trestles, with a 156' pile trestle on south approach)
(originally a 64' Pony Truss w/pile trestles on either side, 16' on south, 144' on north)
Rgs v6, p243/426
92.? Nothing of note on the RGS, but today is a subdivision known as Twin Spruce Rgs v6, p425
93.2 Line Camp Rgs v6, p429
96.26 7152' Stapleton X96 Photos:   p1   p2   near1   near2   near3

Siding, 30-car
Rgs v6, p435
Sun v2, p91
97.2 Hogg Photos: p1   p2  

Siding, 10-car (runarounds)
Spur (s connection) - 10 cars in 1906? - off the runaround track (sawmill)
Sawmill - O'Bannon-Ditchfield Lumber Co - c1901 to 8/1/1902
W. George Cook
Sawmill - Dolores Lumber & Supply Co - 8/1/1902 to mid 1915
97.? Bridge 98-A, 63' long, 9' high (side creek)
(pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p442
97.82 Rust
(later)

TerraServer map
Jct - A.A. Rust Lumber RR to Bean Canyon - 1902 to 1906
A.A. Rust Lumber - 1902 to 1909


Spur (n), 3-car
Crossing, 240' branch leading to Rust Logging RR (removed 11-1908)
The logging railroad climbed two steep switchback to the mesa above

Likely photo of where the mill spur was, or close to it:   p1  
W. George Cook
Ssj p388
Spur (lumber)
Rust Lumber & Merchandise Co - 1909 to 1915
100.3 Rust
(earlier)
Rust Lumber Co (moved from Muldoon) - 1899 to 1902
Spur (n), 14-car (lumber)
W. George Cook
Sawmill - Chris Hoppe - 1897 to 2/14/1903
Spur (sawmill)
99.? Bridge 100-A, 79' long, -' high
(open-deck frame trestle, later filled in)
Rgs v6, p243
101.? Bridge 102-A, 29' long, -' high (water-seepage bed)
(pile trestle)
Rgs v6, p243
102.34 6957' Dolores

(interactive map)

TerraServer map

NGC pg
GhostDepot pg

(topo map -1965)
(topo map -1969)
Google Map
X102 Depot, frame   ( p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8  
          front   rear   rear2   s end   c1940-a   c1940-b )

Current photos (replica depot):
        Mario (2004): p1   p2   p3  
        RailsProject (2006): p1   p2   p3   p4   p4  

Freight house, frame, 24'x96'   (pic )
Stockpens, 5 pens (single- & double-deck cars)   (p1   p2   near1   near2 )

Section house - foreman, frame, 18'x28'   (p1   p2   p3   p4   )
2 section houses - laborers (boxcar bodies)   (pic )
Tool house, frame, 10'x16'   (p1   p2   p3 )

Photos:   overview   view2   view3   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8   p9   p10  
                p11   p12   p13   p14   p15   p16  
                mail truck   near   near2   near3   near4   near5   near6
                north1   north2  
                south1  

Town photos (current):   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8   p9   p10   p11  

Spur, 20-car (stockpens)
Sidings & other track (128-car total)   ( 3-way pic   stub2   stub3   stub4   20 at 3way1   20 at 3way2   )
Wye, stem 176'   (p1   p2 )
(the Dolores Star reported on 10-13-1905 that the RGS had begun work to move the wye from it's location in the residential part of town to an area near the river being used as a ball field).

Water tank (city fed)   (pic )
Sun v2, p91
Sawmill (team loading) - A.A. Rust Lumber Co - 5/14/1896 to 1909 W. George Cook
Team loading - Rust Lumber & Merchandise Co - 1909 to after 1930
Branch to McPhee begins just sourth of Dolores
~3.5 miles to McPhee, ~43 miles to end-of-track
(No engineering drawwings exist, so MPs are approximate)
Construction started in March, 1924. Rail as 40lb and 45lb on 'main', with some 30lb for sidings and yards.

I have a couple of pics of the grade (from Jun '07):   p1   p2   p3
Rgs v7, p224-8
+3.5
McPhee br
6820' Bridge, ---' long, -' high (dolores river)
(just off branch main, on track leading into McPhee)
Rgs v7, p223
+3.8
McPhee br
6820' McPhee (tentatively named "Ventura" intially)
Photos:   p1   p2  

Spur, ?-car (box plant)
Siding along yard, ending in wye
Mill drying yard (4 yard tracks, 3 thru, 1 stub)
Spur, ?-car (planing mill / sorting platform)
2 Spurs, ?-car (lumber warehouse)
Siding, ?-car
Spur, ?-car (timber dock)
Spur, ?-car (water tower / 5-stack power plant)
Siding, ?-car
Spur, ?-car (mill pond skidway)
Spur, ?-car (enginehouse / machine shop)
Spur, ?-car (storage warehouse)
2 Spurs, ?-car (loading dock)
Wye leading into town, stem ?
Wye / yard lead, stem ?
Rgs v7, p223
+7.6
McPhee br
7040' Bean Canyon Trestle, ---' long, -' high
9 deg curve
Rgs v7, p224
+11.5
McPhee br
7320' Horse Camp Log chute
Water tank
Wye
Rgs v7, p224
+12.1
McPhee br
Trestle, 150' long, 25' high
(gully below Railroad Reservoir)
Rgs v7, p229
+18.2
McPhee br
7960' Turkey Creek Trestle, --' long, -' high
(Turkey Creek)
14 deg curve
Rgs v7, p252
+19.5
McPhee br
~8000' Rock Creek Trestle, 496' long, 65' high
7 deg curve
(Rock Creek)
Rgs v7, p224
+21
McPhee br
8040' Coal Mine Wye Wye, feeding a .75 mi spur to the company coal mine Rgs v7, p253
+25.25
McPhee br
~8000' Beaver Camp Langston spur
Spur
Wye
Water tank nearby, at about +24.25
Rgs v7, p224
+27
McPhee br
7920' The Crossover Rgs v7, p224
+42.75
McPhee br
End-of-track Rgs v7, p224
102.? Bridge 103-A, 169' long, -' high
(two 64' Howe Truss spans on pilings, center concrete pier)
(possibly replaced c1915)

Brandon (Amarillo TX) writes: "As a kid I remember fishing off the pilings but the bridge was long gone. It was about 2 blocks west of the 4th St Bridge. Or across from the the old Sewer pond (New Park). Even today (c2007) you can look at aerial pictures of Lost Canyon, Dolores Canyon Jct you can see the rail bed leading to the river bed.
Rgs v8, p14,79
103.36 6955' Lost Canyon

TerraServer map
X103 Photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   from rim above  

Siding, 36-car
Sun v2, p91
108.5 Lost Canyon (or possibly Smalley)
Sawmill - R.O. Smalley - 5/1917 to c1920
Spur, 6-car (sawmill)
W. George Cook
109.00 Smalley

TerraServer map
X109 Spur, 1-car Sun v2, p97
Sawmill - R.O. Smalley - 7/12/1917 W. George Cook
? McKinley Siding, 3-car Sun v2, p97
111.5+ Lost Canyon Creek Sawmill - W.E. & N.C. Carver - c1892 to 9/1902 W. George Cook
111.65 7358' Glencoe

TerraServer map
X112 Post office originally known as Arloa
From 10-24-1887 thru 5-4-1891, it was called Morgan

Jct - Montezuma Lumber RR - 1906 to 1914
Logging line climbed 3 switchbacks to the mesa, and extended to 25 mi by 1913. The line used 6 different locomotives (not necessarily at the same time), and sometimes used RGS crews & locos as well. An enginehouse existed to service the lumber railroad. RGS's locomotive #23 was tried by the company at some point, but didn't work well and was returned (I assume back to the RGS).

Stockpens, 2 pens
Section house - foreman, frame, 24'x37'
Section house - laborer, frame, 18'x28'
Tool house, frame, 10'x15'   (pic)

Photos:   overview   p1   p2   p3  

Siding and spur(s), 25-car total
Wye, stem 113'
Ssj p392
Sun v2, p97
W. George Cook
Sawmill - Montezuma Lumber Co - 9/2/1902 to 4/1915 W. George Cook
Ssj p393
112.75 Barnes Sawmill - Barnes & Co - 1892 to c1902 W. George Cook
113.50 Soulen X113 Spur, 10-car
Sun v2, p97
113.54 Sawmill - George Soulen - 7/8/1916 to 1918; 1928 to c1930 W. George Cook
113.7 Field Sawmill - Moore-Field Lumber Co / MLCo - 8/1/1901 to c1902 W. George Cook
Sawmill - Turkey Creek Lumber Co - 11/22/1913 to 1934
115.55 7652' Millwood

TerraServer map
X116 Photos:   p1   p2   p3   near1   near2   near3   near4   near5   near6   near7  

Scrapping train near Millwood, 11-6-1952:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8  

Siding, 36-car
Sun v2, p97
Sawmill - A. Hayes - 4/1907 to 1907; 1911 W. George Cook
Sawmill - Millwood Lumber Co - c1916 to c1926
116.27 Graden

TerraServer map
Sawmill - T.C. Gradens Merchandise Co - c1890 to c1892 W. George Cook
Sawmill - Mancos Lumber Co - c1892 to 6/1898
Sawmill - Stubbs & Jakway Lumber Co - 6/1898 to 6/3/1903
Sawmill - Montezuma Lumber Co - 6/3/1903 to fall 1903; 1911
117.65 Bell Sawmill - J.N. Bell - c1907 W. Geoge Cook
118.90 Long Spur, 4-car Sun v2, p97
Sawmill - C.E. Herr - 1898 to 1903 W. Geoge Cook
Sawmill - George Long - c1910 to c1912
FF RR Cherry Creek

TerraServer map
Sawmill - Cherry Creek Lumber Co - c1906 to c1911 W. Geoge Cook
119 near Bauer Lake
Photo:   p1-1964
John Maxwell
122.50 7008' Mancos

NGC pg
GhostDepot pg
Google Map
X123 Depot, frame   (p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   front   f2   door   end1   end2 )
Stockpens, 5 pens (single- and double-deck cars)
Section house - foreman, frame, 25'x37'
Section house - laborer, frame, 18'x28'
Tool house, frame, 10'x24'   ( p1   p2 )

Photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8   p9  
                near1   near2   near3   near4   near5   last train   last2  
                MainStreet_2001   Bank_2001

Sidings and spurs, 55-car total
Wye, stem 335'
Water tank (city fed)   (p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7 )
Sun v2, p97
Sawmill - Mancos Lumber Co - c1892 W. George Cook
Sawmill - Heibler & Co / Heibler & Buck - c1901 to c1912
? Sawmill - Lost Canyon Lumber Co - 12/24/1901 to ?
124.57 Buckley X124 Spur, 5-car (disconnected 1911) Sun v2, p97
Sawmill - Heibler & Hamlin Manuf. Co - c1893 to 4/22/1898 W. George Cook
Sawmill - Montezuma Lumber Co - 4/22/1898 to 11/10/1902
Sawmill - The Montezuma Lumber Co - 11/10/1902 to c1915
125.31 7314' Menefee X125 Photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   bridge  

Spur, 16-car
Sun v2, p97
Sawmill - Heibler & Hamlin Manuf. Co - c1893 to c1895 W. George Cook
Sawmill - Buckley & Weston Lumber Co - c1897 to 4/22/1898
Sawmill - Montezuma Lumber Co - 4/22/1898 to 11/10/1902
Sawmill - The Montezuma Lumber Co - 11/10/1902 to 1912
127.4 Gradens Sawmill - T.C. Gradens Merchendise Co - 1890 to 1892 W. George Cook
129.26 7774' Brayton

TerraServer map
X129 Photos:   pic

Siding, 10-car
Sun v2, p97
Sawmill - Stubbs & Jakway Co - c1891 to 1893 W. George Cook
130.61 7915' East Mancos

TerrsServer maps:
high   low
X131 2 section houses - laborer (boxcar bodies)
Tool house (boxcar body)

Photos:   pic   cars1   cars2   cars3  
Photo of tank remains:   NGC pic

Water tank   (gravity fed)   (pic )
Sun v2, p97
132.88 8135' Grady X133 (or Mesa)
Photos:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5   p6   p7   p8   p9   p10   p11   east  
Scrapping:   Overview   Crum_handcar   Crum2   Crum3   near1   near2  

Siding, 18-car   ( pic1   pic2 )
Sun v2, p97
Sawmill - Gibson Lumber Co - c1907 to 1909 W. George Cook
Sawmill - J.E. Craig - 1912, 1914
136.46 8220' Kane X136 (formerly Dix)
Section house - laborer, frame, 12'x16'
2 section houses - laborer (boxcar bodies)
Tool house, frame, 8'x12'

Siding, 17-car
Sun v2, p97
136.6 Sawmill - Mancos Lumber (Stubbs & Jakway) - c1894 to c1896 W. George Cook
Sawmill - H.M. Davis - c1917
137.3 Starvation
Creek
X137 Sawmill - J.B. (Doc) Moore - c1907 to c1909 Sun v2, p97
W. George Cook
138.80 Sponsel X139 Spur, 6-car Sun v2, p105
141.35 8600' Cima

TerraServer map
X141 Photos:   p1   p2   p3   west switch   near1   near2   approach1   approach2   approach3  

Siding, 16-car
Sun v2, p105
141.9 85--' May Day

TerraServer map
X142 Beginning of 3.78% May Day branch Ssj
Sun v2, p105
143.8
May D br
8600' (branch was 1.97 miles)
Mine (gold) - May Day
Spur, 13-car (mine)
Ssj
Sun v2, p105
145.? Bridge 146-A, ? long, 18' high (La Plata River)
(Bridge was a bit north of the Hesperus depot)

Photos (looking west): p1   p2   p3  
Rgs v9, p144
145.51 8125' Hesperus

TerraServer map

NGC pg

GhostDepot pg
X145 Depot/freight house - frame, 20'x37' (burned May 4, 1940)
Stockpens, 3 pens (single- and double-deck cars)
Section house - foreman, frame, 25'x37'   ( pic )
Section house - laborer, frame, 18'x28'
Tool house, frame, 10'x22'

Photos:
    p1 - looking N; spur to Porter mine at left; passing siding at Hesperus begins on right.
    p2 - looking S; spur to Porter on right; RGS main on left.
    p3 - looking N; coal-loading siding on left, just N of Hesperus at MP 145; it's
            Oct 8, 1951 and RGS #20 is still wearing her Ticket to Tomahawk paint.
    p4 - looking N; just a little south of p3.
    p5 - switching the 10-car livestock spur; caboose is on main.
    p6  
    p7 - looking N; ex-coach 255 is the new 'depot', parked on the old spur to Porter.
    p8 - same angle, closer view; here's a close-up of 255
    p9
    stock5803  

    Overview of Hesperus in 2001: p1

    School house (Jerry Halbert, in 1975): p1

    Wreck of #40 on 9-21-1943:   p1   p2  

    Scrapping train, 9-11-1952:   p1   p2   p3  
    Another scrap train w/Goose #6, 6-16-1953:   p1   p2   p3   p4   p5  

Water tank   (gravity fed)   (photos: p1   p2   )

Coal-loading spur (s), ???-car
Livestock spur (s), approx 10-car
Other sidings and spurs, 254-car total

Mine (Porter Fuel Co)   ( pic   other pics )
Ssj
Sun v2, p105
Rgs v9, p130ff.
145.? Bridge 145-ASS, 40' long, 6-' high (La Plata River)
(This bridge was on the spur to the Porter Coal mine, and was a bit west of Hesperus proper)
Rgs v9, p156
145.? Bridge 146-B, --' long, --' high (irrigation ditch)
(Bridge was just north of the Hesperus depot)
Rgs v9, p156
146.80