Large Scale Central

HELP Find these cars !

Prototypes
#1

The Durango Railroad Historical Society needs everyones help to find proof that these cars were in or around the Chama, Durango, Silverton, Farmington area in the 50’s or 60’s.

Durango RR Historical Society members:

The board of directors decided this month to commit to purchase later this year seven rail cars to add to our collection. We would like to apply for a grant from the State Historical Fund to acquire and restore these cars. However, a SHF prerequisite for applying for a grant is that they be on a local, state or national register. Being a part of the roster of cars on the Silverton Branch when the D&RGW applied in 1961 for a National Historical Landmark for the Silverton Branch qualifies the cars. D&S has no rosters for their freight cars for the period of the 1950s and 1960s, so we need to find some other kind of evidence: photos, documents, text in books, etc.
Please help us search for such evidence in your collection of photos, books, etc. We need to determine their status by March to be able to finish getting the proposal ready to submit by the April 1 deadline.
Here are the cars we are researching:

Stock car, single deck, D&RGW 5627
Stock car, double deck, D&RGW 5564
Flat car, D&RGW 6215
Box car, D&RGW 3670
Outfit car, bunk, water service, D&RGW 04432
Outfit car, tool D&RGW 04351
Flanger OT

We are looking for evidence that any of these cars was on the Silverton Branch or near it (e.g. RGS line, line from Durango to Chama) during the 1950s or 1960s.

If you know of someone or some collection that we should contact or search, please let us know. We will be searching Durango, Silverton, CRRM, and Denver Public Library collections.

Thanks,
George

Durango Railroad Historical Society
Box 654
Durango, CO 81302
www.drhs315.org

#2

Dave,

You might want to check with the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in Albuquerque. They have the Richard Dorman photographic collection.
http://www.cumbrestoltec.org/

Another excellent research source is the Western History Collection of the Denver Public Library. They have an extensive digital collection on line.
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/

Good Luck.

Jerry

#3

Dave,

It is also my understanding (not confirmed personally) that I believe the Colorado Railroad Museum has acquired the “John Maxwell Collection” which contained a large collection of D&RGW drawings and photos. Might be worth further investigation.

Bob C.

#4

I ran through “A century plus ten” and dont see any of those car #s in there.

#5

Found one! Don Bergman Holland, MI found the 5627 in a Otto Perry photo of the Durango Yard.

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/47498/rec/3

One Down, and it’s only the first day.

Keep hunting.

#6

Dave,

There is a similar post on the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum, and I believe they have located 4 of the cars in photos.

Bob C.

#7

Yeeehaa, It looks like the Train guys of the world have real stepped up. It seems as if they found all but the box car on the first day. Additional photos of the cars are always needed to support the claim, and to help in the re-building back to a time period. If you find any pics please let us know.

We recently found a couple un-known photos of D&RGW 315 after several years of thinking that we had them all!

Thanks guys!