The Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS) was a narrow gauge railroad which ran from Durango to Ridgway in the western part of the US state of Colorado. Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Durango (Navajo: Kinłání) is a city in La Plata County, Colorado (USA). ... Ridgway is a town located in Ouray County, Colorado. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ...

History

The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) had built branch lines to the mining towns of Silverton and Ouray, but the San Juan Mountains between Ouray and Silverton were too formidable to allow the building of a railroad directly connecting the two towns. The Silverton Railroad, built north from Silverton, had reached within 8 miles (13 km) of Ouray, but the remaining strech through the Uncompahgre Gorge was considered too difficult. A cog railway was briefly considered but was never built. Categories: Rail stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Colorado railroads | New Mexico railroads | Utah railroads ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ... Silverton is a town located in San Juan County, Colorado. ... Ouray, Colorado Ouray is a city located in Ouray County, Colorado. ... The San Juan Mountains are a rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. ... Uncompahgre Gorge in autumn The Uncompahgre Gorge is a deep mountain canyon formed by the Uncompahgre River and Red Mountain Creek just south of Ouray, Colorado. ... The rack rail on a cog railway. ...

The RGS was founded in 1889 by Otto Mears, and construction began in 1890 from Ridgway (north of Ouray) and Durango (south of Silverton) to go around the most rugged part of the San Juan Mountains and also reach the mining towns of Rico and Telluride. 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Ridgway is a town located in Ouray County, Colorado. ... Durango (Navajo: Kinłání) is a city in La Plata County, Colorado (USA). ... Rico is a town located in Dolores County, Colorado. ... For other meanings, see Telluride (disambiguation). ...

Spiral

The route passed over Dallas Divide west of Ridgway and over Lizard Head Pass north of Rico. The most famous structure on the route was the Ophir Loop near Ophir. At this point the railroad was built up a narrow mountain valley and looped back up the other side to gain elevation over several tall trestles. Dallas Divide, elevation 2734 m (8 970 ft) is a mountain pass in the United States state of Colorado located on Colorado State Highway 62 about 12 miles (19 km) west of the town of Ridgway. ... Ophir is a town located in San Miguel County, Colorado. ... A spiral is a hill climbing technique for railways when the topography rises faster than the train can climb. ... Steel trestle with plate girder spans A trestle is a bridge that consists of a large number of short spans, supported by splayed vertical elements and is usually for railroad use. ...

The RGS filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission for abandonment on 24 April 1952. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC; 1887 - 1995) was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Galloping Goose

The most famous aspect of the RGS was its fleet of Galloping Geese. Durning the Great Depression it became increasingly expensive to operate trains over the mountain railroad. The RGS came up with a concept to build a rail car out of a car or bus body front end and a box car rear end. Seven Geese were built, all but one of which survive to this day. The Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn, starting in 1929 and lasting through most of the 1930s. ...

1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, and China by General Motors Corporation. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, and China by General Motors Corporation. ... The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit heritage railway established in 1959 to preserve for future generations a tangible record of Colorados flamboyant railroad era, particularly the states pioneering narrow gauge mountain railroads. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... 1919 Pierce-Arrow advertisement The Pierce-Arrow was a Buffalo, New York (United States) based manufacturing company from 1901 to 1938. ... Knotts Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, and a manufacturer of food specialty products (primarily jams and preserves) based in Placentia, California. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... 1919 Pierce-Arrow advertisement The Pierce-Arrow was a Buffalo, New York (United States) based manufacturing company from 1901 to 1938. ... For other meanings, see Telluride (disambiguation). ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1919 Pierce-Arrow advertisement The Pierce-Arrow was a Buffalo, New York (United States) based manufacturing company from 1901 to 1938. ... Dolores is a town located in Montezuma County, Colorado. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1919 Pierce-Arrow advertisement The Pierce-Arrow was a Buffalo, New York (United States) based manufacturing company from 1901 to 1938. ... The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit heritage railway established in 1959 to preserve for future generations a tangible record of Colorados flamboyant railroad era, particularly the states pioneering narrow gauge mountain railroads. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, and China by General Motors Corporation. ... The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit heritage railway established in 1959 to preserve for future generations a tangible record of Colorados flamboyant railroad era, particularly the states pioneering narrow gauge mountain railroads. ...

External links

• www.gallopinggoose.org
• Rio Grande Southern historical information