Emma Sweeney

June 9, 2011 by admin

In April 2011 the Amador County, CA, Board of Supervisors voted to release to DRHS the full size wood, fiberglass, and metal model of the Emma Sweeney. It is a colorful replica of RGS 20 dressed up for the 1950 movie A Ticket to Tomahawk. RGS 20 was used for shots on the tracks, and the model was used for shots off the tracks, pulled by mules down a Silverton street, carried in pieces over Molas Pass, and pulled along the old air strip on Reservoir Hill in Durango. We will restore it to its movie appearance.

The Society is pleased to announce that it met the goal of receiving more than sufficient donations to fulfill the offer the Narrow Gauge Preservation Foundation to match up to $10,000 in funds to the Durango Railroad Historical Society in support of the Silverton Northern trackage project, which includes restoring the pits and doorways in the Silverton Northern engine house. The response from our current members – and from some new ones – was outstanding. We achieved the goal in less than three months, six months earlier than allowed by the terms of the grant.

Thanks very much to all the donors,

George Niederauer, President, DRHS

We have added a new page titled “Whats New”. We hope this makes it easy for people to navigate quickly to the new book information.

http://www.drhs315.org/blog/whats-new/

Gondola Project Update November 18, 2010 by admin NEW! See our fully revised pages on the gondolas project with a series of photos that will take through all the stages of the project up to date. For the gondolas story and photos click here.

The Narrow Gauge Preservation Foundation has offered to match up to $10,000 in funds to the Durango Railroad Historical Society in support of the Silverton Northern trackage project, which includes restoring the pits and doorways in the Silverton Northern engine house. The conditions are these: 1. NGPF will match on a 1:1 basis all donations received after October 1, 2010, through February 1, 2011, up to $5,000. 2. If we receive at least $5,000 in donations during the above period, then NGPF will match another $5,000 of donations received during March 1 through July 1, 2011. So, please considering sending a contribution to Durango Railroad Historical SocietyBox 654 Durango, CO 81302 And, while you are at it, pass this on to your friends and railroad groups.

Thanks very much,

 George NiederauerPresident, DRHS

September 25, Silverton. D&S track crew install the harp stand for what is probably the first stub switch constructed in decades. This harp stand belongs to the San Juan County HIstorical Society and has been on display in the old jail house museum. The casting has raised letters for “D&RGW” and was once at Elk Park on the Silverton Branch. The track crew also was adjusting track and filling in with ballast to make it ready to use to move the railcar Casey Jones and the 315 into the engine house in October.

Some great pictures have surfaced from Railfest. Here are some links to a few different websites featuring some of our favorite 315 pictures.

Photographer, Matthew Malkiewicz : http://mfmalk.zenfolio.com

Photographer, Samuel Howard : http://www.trainroomphotography.com/

Status – September 9, 2010

On August 22, 2010, the entire package for the book was sent to the printer. Hardcopy proof pages arrived a week later. On September 8 the corrections to the proof pages were completed and sent back to the printer. One final review of the proofs as electronic files in the next few days will assure that the book is corrected and ready for the press. The printed copies should be on hand sometime in the second half of October.

ADDENDUM: While working on making corrections to the proofs, we also managed to put together a four-page spread of photos of the 315 pulling the four-car green passenger train and the historic rendezvous with Eureka 4, Goose 5, and D&S locomotives. The addendum will be added to the back of the book.

For more information please click here.

To view entire Table of Contents please click here.

As we are all winding up for Railfest, I keep seeing all these amazing 315 pictures from past years popping up. I got a text this morning that these were on the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum. They are by John Wagner who I was lucky to meet in 2008. Thanks for the picture John.

Here is a link to the thread: http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,165390

Here is a picture Dennis took of the green coaches…I know it’s small, I tried to make it bigger but it got all fuzzy! So squint I guess untill I get a new picture.

-ashley