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LOCATED IN THE RIDGWAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VISITOR CENTER HWYS 550 & 62, PO Box 588, Ridgway, CO 81432

www.ridgwayrailroadmuseum.org

May 2015 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

All articles in this newsletter with a listed author are copyrighted either by the author or by the Ridgway Railroad Museum. The Museum Board must grant permission before any reprinting or electronic transmission of these articles that have an author’s byline. The Museum welcomes the reproduction of any subject matter that relates to the Museum’s activities or events.

President’s Message Dear Friends, Not a lot to report for this newsletter. No major news on RGS 36 or Galloping Goose 4 going to Durango. We did go get RGS Inspection 1 and are starting work on it. I hope to have it on display for summer 2016. We had our first Tuesday work session and got a LOT done. We pulled the head off Motor 1 and found the internal water leak to be just a couple of freeze plugs leaking. I am very relieved, although I have not yet found new plugs. It is a lot better than a cracked block!! We also moved all the display cars 65' to the east and started re-aligning the west end of the track. We will have to do more of this to get the display track in the right place to fit under the future train shed. We also got some of the ties and other track material we will need for the new 'high iron' running track for RGS 36. Don has supplied links to some video of the process of moving the cars. We can always use more folks on our Tuesday work sessions. Karl

Museum Musings By Don Paulson

1. This spring and summer we will be making changes in the track

configuration at the museum including adding an additional 200 feet of track. This is in preparation for our building of a 150 foot two-track train shed in summer 2016 and the anticipated arrival of the replica of RGS No. 36 in summer 2017. I will keep everyone up to date with a series of videos on youtube. Karl and I moved one section of track to the south and moved all five cars to the east end of the equipment display track in preparation for moving the west end a bit north. Because the bulldozer would not fit next to the fence we used the winch on Karl’s truck to move the first car and the

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bulldozer to move the other four. Here are a few videos showing the process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47UoA8pg7Jw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fvXWuJ4BLo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23HV1bAqfjY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CFGwfVzjSo

While Karl and I were moving cars, Rod Bunyard and Bob Meyer were repairing an oil leak 0n Motor No. 1. Here are a few stills from the days work.

2. Our annual work week is set for June 1st through June 5th. Make your plans now to help us lay track, work on business car C, paint, etc. There are jobs for all regardless of your skill level.

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3. In the late 1940s Dr. A. G. Chione and his lifelong friend Bill Zaiss took a

year-long vacation from their families in RGS country photographing all areas of the railroad. Judi Williams, the granddaughter of Mr. Zaiss, recently donated a large collection of their photos to the museum. Some of Bill’s photos ended up in Jose Moore Crum’s book on the RGS. I will reprint a few of these photos in upcoming newsletters. Here are photos 3 and 4.

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4. Thanks to Jim Ehrenberger for sending in the following four stories from the Silverton Standard.

Silverton Standard March 6, 1945:

Runaway Goose Badly Damaged

The third runaway in about two months proved fatal for a Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose last Thursday when it piled up in a canyon near Milepost 11 as it was going into Ridgway, according to the Telluride Journal. Driven by a Mr. Haney of Ridgway, the Goose slowed down for a crossing. As it picked up speed again, the driver heard a loud click which came from the drive shaft breaking.

The broken shaft fell sideways onto the air brake cable which was broken by the impact. Leaving the bus to run way for the third time because of the brakes being out of commission. No passengers were on the bus that day as there had been on previous occasions. The driver rode the bus for a short distance and then jumped off, suffering an injured back in doing so. He was not hurt badly however.

The bus went on down the canyon for some distance before leaving the track and turning over. It was badly damaged. The railroad was blocked for a tie but was cleared during the afternoon. Another Goose running out of Ridgway is coming into Telluride this evening and will remain here until morning.

Silverton Standard, March 16, 1890

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Silverton Standard, March 14, 1996

Silverton Standard, March 13, 1920

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5. Below is a page from a 1944 Green Light, the D&RGW employee newspaper. The engine on the bottom turntable is D&RGW 4-8-2 No. 1501 and the engine on the top turntable is probably a D&RG 2-8-0.

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Ridgway Street Names By Don Paulson

Ridgway, Colorado exists today because of Otto Mears, builder and first

president of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS). See the article above that claims the town was to be named Magentie. Mears had originally intended to make the town of Dallas, near the confluence of Dallas Creek and the Uncompahgre River, the terminus of his railroad. However, his engineers talked him into locating the town 2.5 miles further south due to the availability of good water, more open space and a less difficult crossing of the Uncompahgre River. The residents of Dallas soon began to move their businesses to Ridgway and Dallas quickly disappeared.

Ridgway is named for Robert M. Ridgway who was superintendent of the Rio Grande Southern Construction Company which built the northern half of the RGS for Mears. The Rio Grande Southern ran from Ridgway to Durango via Telluride, Rico and Dolores. On May 22, 1890 D. C. Hartwell, Fredrick Walsen, and Charles Nix, following Mears’s plan, signed the articles of incorporation for the town of Ridgway. George Hurlburt made the first town survey map dated June 6, 1890. The present street names in Ridgway (see figure) date from the original Hurlburt survey. Mears sold lots in the new 490 acre town to help pay for the construction costs of the new railroad.

The obvious question is, “who are these men and women commemorated in the names of Ridgway’s streets?” Mears did not leave behind information about this question and so we are left to speculate. However, most of them are easily explained with only one or two in question. The east/west streets are all named for men. The most obvious is Otto Street named for RGS President Otto Mears. Frederick Street is named for Fred Walsen who was a partner with Mears in many of his toll roads throughout the San Juan Mountains. Walsenberg Colorado is also named for Fred Walsen. Charles Street is named for Charles Nix, a Chicago financier who owned and operated many hotels in the Midwest and was later the owner of the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray. Clinton Street is named for Dewitt Clinton Hartwell who developed Ouray’s first electrical power system and was a major investor in the Beaumont Hotel.

One might be tempted to propose that Sherman Street is named for the Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman. However, a more likely candidate is William A. Sherman, a mining speculator and local judge who signed the Ridgway incorporation papers. Hyde Street is named for Richard and Arthur Hyde, brothers who sold Fred Walsen most of the land for the Ridgway townsite. That leaves Moffat Street which is certainly named for David Moffat who was President of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad when the town of Ridgway was founded.

All of the north/south Streets are named for women. Mary Street is named for Mary Mears, Otto’s wife, while Cora Street and Laura Street are named for

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Mears’s two daughters. Elizabeth Street, Charlotte Street, and Amelia Street are named for the wives of Charles Nix, D. C. Hartwell, and Fred Walsen, respectively. That leaves only Lena Street unaccounted for. An extensive search of the names of wives and daughters of other Mears acquaintances did not yield anyone named Lena. However, my best guess is that Lena Street is named for Lena Stoiber, owner of the famous Silver Lake Mine and Mill just west of Silverton. Mears built an extension of the Silverton Railroad to the Silver Lake Mill in 1893. An earlier article in this series discussed the famous Mears gold and silver passes issued for the RGS and Silverton Railroads. In 1890, the year of incorporation of Ridgway, Lena Stoiber was one of only two people to receive gold Silverton Railroad lockets.

The Ridgway Railroad Museum would be happy to hear from anyone with additional information on any of the street names in Ridgway. You can reach us through our website at http://www.ridgwayrailroadmuseum.org.

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RGS Logo Hats

The Museum now sells RGS logo hats (made in America) for $20 at the museum or $25 postpaid. You can order one by sending a check for $25 to the museum or by making a Paypal payment of $25 (be sure and include “Hat” in the message line).

2015 ANNUAL DUES SCHEDULE

INDIVIDUAL $20 FAMILY $40 SILVER $100 GOLD $200 PLATINUM $300 LIFE MEMBER $1,000 (one-time donation) BUSINESS $100

Dues paid between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 will be for the year 2015. Dues paid between July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 will be for the year 2016. You may now pay your dues or make a cash donation to the Museum using Pay Pal. See the Museum website at www.RidgwayRailroadMuseum.org for details. Information is found on the membership page of the website.

Newsletter Archive Now Available on CD The Ridgway Railroad Museum is now selling a CD containing pdf files of all of the monthly Museum Newsletters from April 2001 through December 2010 (117 separate newsletters). Here is your chance to get all of the great stories that have been printed in our newsletters over the past decade. You can buy the CDs at the Museum for $25 each or you can order them via our PayPal account at $30 each, which includes shipping. If you order them using PayPal, please be sure and indicate that the payment is for the “Newsletter CD.” See “Membership” on the Museum’s website for details on how to order by PayPal.

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MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS AND COMMENTS Each months Museum Newsletter is now available to museum members as a pdf file by e-mail only. For past newsletters please see above. If you have a question or comment, contact Don Paulson, PO Box 1168, Ouray, CO 81427 (970-325-0931), drpaulson@ouraynet.com Please use “Museum” in the subject box.

RIDGWAY RAILROAD MUSEUM WISH LIST FOR 2014 400 feet of 30# rail with joint bars and bolts and 4” spikes, $2,500 for operating insurance for Motor #1, Brake shoes for narrow gauge cars, a Mears silver filigree pass, Re-railing Frogs , more painters and carpenters, Mannequin to use in Motor No 1, 1880’s Era Cook Stove for business car C, A pair of D&RG narrow gauge passenger trucks or parts and 30” wheels for business car C , Narrow gauge flat car for display of our RD-4 Caterpillar dozer, Wanted: Authors of short history articles – many subjects available.

Please Support our Business Members:

ANDERSON & ASSOCIATE ARCHITECTS, INC. THE ASPEN MODELING COMPANY 11855 Craig View Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146 www.theaspenmodelingcompany.com BUFFALO MACHINE WORKS Box 187 18073 Jeffco Hwy 126, Buffalo Creek, CO 80425 http://www.buffalomachineworks.com CHAMA STEAM EXCURSIONS http://www.chamasteam.com/chamasteam/excursions-current.html 675 Terrace, PO Box 291, Chama, NM 87520 CITIZEN’S STATE BANK 600 Main St. Ouray, Co 81427 970-325-4478 COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM Golden, Colorado 1-800-365-6263 www.crrm.org THE COLORADO TIME-TABLE Box 1035, Chama, NM 87520

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FUN AND GAMES (scale figures) Allen Pollock, PO Box 243, Jefferson City, MO 65102 573-635-6163 ext. 216 www.scalefigures.com GALLOPING GOOSE HISTORICAL SOCIETY 421 Railroad Ave., Dolores, CO 81323 www.gallopinggoose5.com HIGH COUNTRY MFG, INC. 103 N. 4th St., Montrose, CO 81401 970-252-8755 email: hcm@montrose.net MOUNTAINS AND PLAINS INSTITUTE 430 Peterson St., Ft Collins, CO 80524 McKENZIE BROTHERS TIMBER CO 118 Suisun Ct, Vacaville, CA 95688 H-707-447-7386 Cell-707-689-7579 email: captmacrgs40@yahoo.com www.railwayeng.com/McKenzieBrosTimberCo/index.htm THE PARLOR CAR BED & BREAKFAST 311 Terrace Ave., Box 967 Chama, NM 87520 (888) 849-7800 www.parlorcar.com PHILLIP NILSSON PHOTOGRAPHY 970-759-9833 Phillipdana2@msn.com POCO LOCO MGT. LLC POB 409 Erie, CO 80516 SALIDA ROUNDHOUSE MODEL TRAINS 249 W.US 50, Salida, CO 81201 719-530-1496 RoundBell@aol.com SOUTHWEST SPIRIT ANTIQUES & APPRAISALS 631 Sherman St., Ridgway, CO81432 970-626-5629 www.southwestspiritantiques.com