by Carol McDermott and James Burke

Photography by James Burke

Ridgway, Colorado

Ouray County Railroad Days, held annully at the Ridgway Railroad Museum commemorate the renewal of interest as well as the commitment of funds and time to an aspect of the western Colorado county’s history, which dates back to 1887, when the first Denver & Rio Grande (D&RG) train arrived in Ouray.

Motor 1 was built by Carl Schafer as a replica of the original, which was built in 1931 to haul mail to Telluride and Rico and other Rio Grande Southern stations.

Goose No 4 belongs to Telluride, but was brought to Ridgway for the museum here to do cosmetic restoration. Presumably when that is complete, the Goose will go back home again.

The boxcar used in the motion picture “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was a gift from Marvin L. Conrad of Bayfield, Colo. Yet another artifact with a Hollywood connection, it joined the paddy wagon from True Grit, which resides in Heritage Park at the east edge of town.

The "outfit car" was one of a string of cars where the men slept and ate when they were out on a work train. Generaly the railroad hired a number of men in the spring to work the railroad over the summer. They lived out on the line in these outfit cars. The men were essentially transients who migrated to where the work was and the pay was good.

Ridgway, named for railroad superintendent Robert M. Ridgway, was organized as a railhead in 1890 to serve the mining districts of Ouray and Telluride. The Rio Grande Southern Railroad was born in Ridgway. The smelter that served the mines was in Durango. As long as the mines continued to operate, the railroad trafficked the ore to the smelters. The mines could also ship, by rail, ore to the front range where there were smelters in Pueblo.

The Depression shut nearly everything down cold. They only thing that kept the railroad alive was the mail contract. The Galloping Goose, a motorized railbus, was developed in the 1930s to deliver the mail, and it essentially kept the railroad alive. All of the Geese were built in the Ridgway Roundhouse (which sat where Ridgway Mountain Market is today). They built seven of them. They always ran hot, because of the radiator. In those days, they propped up the hood on either side to get all the air they could through the engine. They appeared to have their "wings up" as they came "waddling down the rough track. They looked like a goose, hence the name. They made their last run in 1949.

Now the railroad has returned, due to the efforts of Karl Schaeffer, Gregory Posta, and other railroad enthusiasts who have organized the Ridgway Railroad Museum. Schaeffer built a “Galloping Goose” to complement the three railcars, old depot outbuilding (outhouse and coal shed), and three other rail vehicles on display outside.  

Posta, museum president, is heading efforts to raise $25,000 for the purchase, from the South Park City museum, of Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) caboose No. 0585, which was built in 1900.

The museum also hopes to acquire the old depot, currently a private residence.

Located at the intersection of US 550 and Colo. 62 at the Visitor’s Center and Chamber of Commerce building, the Ridgway Railroad Museum is not yet three years old. In addition to the outdoor pieces, the museum features a large scale trestle diorama, model trains, old photos, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia. 

“We are committed to quality and authenticity in all our endeavors,” reads the museum mission statement. “Most importantly, we will try to match the affection towards our railroad legacy shared by millions of people with our interest in making sure that visitors ... enjoy their experience and will help us in our efforts to remember the men and machines of Ouray County.” 

Ouray County Railroad Days showcase music, poetry, and tales of railroading in the San Juans. Demonstrations are held at the museum and the hobby shop. A guided historical tour takes people from Ridgway to Trout Lake on the RGS right of way. 

“The museum and it's annual Railroad Days are educational opportunities for the community and visitors,” said Jim Pettengill, who writes the museum’s newsletter. 

Although, except in video excerpts, museum visitors won’t see the mounted posse leap from the boxcar, trying to corral Butch and his Hole in the Wall gang who just blew a safe to rob the train, they will learn something about Ouray County and Ridgway’s railroad heritage.

Visit the Ridgway Railroad Museum's website: www.ridgwayrailroadmuseum.org.