Rio Grande Southern Narrow Gauge 2021

            On August 31, 2021, the legendary Rio Grande Southern Railroad was brought back to life (if only for a day).   Built in 1891 by Otto Mears, the original RGS was located in Colorado’s southwest corner and ran between Durango and Ridgway via Lizard Head Pass, hauling coal, silver ore, and other goods from the mining communities of Telluride and Rico.  The RGS was profitable for only a few years before a silver panic crippled its finances, but nevertheless it managed to stay in business, struggling through two world wars before running its last train in 1951. Following this, its 3-foot-gauge rails were taken up.  

Rio Grande Southern No.  20, an 1899 Schenectady Ten-Wheeler, is one of four RGS steam locomotives still in existence.  It was preserved by the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club in 1952 when the RGS was abandoned and over the years was cosmetically restored for display, first in Alamosa and later at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden.  After fifty years sitting cold, No. 20 was transported to the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Penn., for a top-to-bottom restoration beginning in 2006 that took 12 long years to compete.  The restoration was spearheaded by a donation from the Moedinger family of Pennsylvania, who put up $400,000 for the effort.  After additional fundraising, No. 20 finally steamed again around the loop track at the Colorado Railroad Museum in 2020. 

While a 3/4th mile loop is nice for a short train ride, Jeff Taylor and others at CRRM desired take No. 20 to a railroad where it could really stretch its legs.  That opportunity came in 2021.  For No. 20’s first major outing since restoration the museum took the 4-6-0 to the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad at Antonito, Colorado.  Its visit coincided with the Victorian Iron Horse Roundup, held in in celebration of the C&TS’s 50th anniversary, which featured four locomotives built before 1900.  

The trip with No. 20 on August 31 was sponsored by TRAINS Magazine, with editor Jim Wrinn and video producer Kevin Gilliam coordinating the event for photographers.  The event was dubbed “Sunset on the Rio Grande Southern.” 

Tickets for the event went fast, despite it costing nearly $900.   The primary goal of “Sunset on the Rio Grande Southern” was to recreate an RGS trip that the late William Moedinger photographed in 1941, with the brakeman riding the pilot beam to watch for landslides.  The first half of the consist matched the train that Moedinger photographed that day, which was featured on the cover of TRAINS in February 1942.  William Moedinger’s son Linn was the person that did much of the restoration work on No. 20 during its time in Pennsylvania.  

Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-2 No. 463, owned by the C&TS, was re-lettered as long-scrapped Rio Grande Southern No. 455 for the trip, and doubleheaded with No. 20.  Thanks to decades of hard work by the Friend of the C&TS, the Cumbres & Toltec was able to provide a long string of authentic narrow-gauge equipment with an authentic RGS short caboose bringing up the markers.   The scenery on the C&TS between Antonito and Osier is similar to the territory the RGS ran in.   

The charter was an incredible experience and recreated scenes that hadn’t been seen since the 1940s.  Was it worth the money?  I’ll let you be the judge of that, but for me it certainly was.  A big thanks is due Jim Wrinn and Kevin Gilliam, plus the men and women of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic for making it all possible.

Taken on: August 31, 2021

Tags:

2-8-2 (Baldwin 1903) Class K-27

4-6-0 (Schenectady 1899)

Colorado

Colorado Railroad Museum (owner)

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

D&RG 463-D&RGW 463-Gene Autry 463-C&TS 463 (renumbered as RGS 45

D&RGW 463

Denver & Rio Grande Railway

F&CC 20 “Portland” – RGS 20 – Rocky Mountain Railroad Cl

Ferguson's Trestle

Hangman's Trestle

MP 285-286

RGS 20

RGS 455 (C&TS 463)

Rio Grande Southern

Sunset on the Rio Grande Southern - TRAINS Magazine photo chart

D&RG 463-D&RGW 463-Gene Autry 463-C&TS 463 (renumbered as RGS 455 for TRAINS Magazine photo charter)

F&CC 20 “Portland” – RGS 20 – Rocky Mountain Railroad Club (CRRM)

Sunset on the Rio Grande Southern - TRAINS Magazine photo charter - Antonito to Osier round trip « less

Sets appears in: • Sunset on the Rio Grande Southern • Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

Groups appears in: • Trains and Trolleys • trains more » • Trains and railways • Railroads • Railway • Railway and all the things around • I Love Trains • Steam Trains • Narrow Gauge and Steam/Heritage Railways/Railroads. No 30/60! • Steam Locomotives • Heritage Motive Power • The Railroad Museum • Steel Rails Across North America. • Trains across america • Colorado Railroad Museum • Steam - Steam Engines & Locomotives • Narrow Gauge and Short Lines • U.S. Railfan Pictures • Trains Deluxe • United States Railroads • All Locomotives, Trains and Trams • Smokin it Up! • Railways & Locomotives • Hierro, iron ferropool, metal, metallic... • Worldwide Railfanning (WRP Flickr) • Colorado Narrow Gauge Mecca • A PRESERVED RAILWAY • flickrailroad • C&TS Iron Horse Roundup 2021 « less

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