Stations and Locations

he Town of Ridgway is a home-rule municipality with a population of slightly more than 1,000 people, located along the Uncompahgre River in the foothills of the San Juan Mountains in colorful southwest Colorado. Once home of the Ute Indians, the Town’s more recent heritage is one steeped in rich railroad and ranching history dating back to 1889, when the Rio Grande Southern Railroad was incorporated to provide rail service between Ridgway and the mining districts of Ouray, Telluride, Rico and Durango. The railroad company, wanting to develop a new town as a headquarters and hub for the growing ranch community, laid out what was to become the Town of Ridgway in 1890. One year later the Town was formally established and named after one of the railroad founders, Robert M. Ridgway.

Town of Ridgway

he Depot’s history runs as deep as the veins of gold and silver pulled from the Telluride valley. Constructed in 1891 during the mining boom, the Depot served as a connection to the rest of the world, bringing in people with fresh ideas and big dreams while exporting precious metals extracted from the high-alpine basins. When the railroad ceased operations in 1951, the building stood vacant for many years until Charles and Sue Cobb purchased the Depot in the late 1980’s and restored the dilapidated building. This was no small task as the building had no foundation and was essentially four walls supported by cables. Vogy’s House Moving transported the structure a few hundred feet up Townsend to sit while a foundation was constructed. When the foundation was complete, the building was moved back into place and set onto the new foundation.

Telluride Science & Innovation Center

n 1891 the railhead was established at the present site of the town of Dolores. The inhabitants of Big Bend moved everything lock, stock and barrel, to the new site at 6,982 feet elevation and named the town after the river that passed through it.

If the Rio Grande Southern Railway had ever been a money making endeavor with the changing economy of it's fledgling days, the Galloping Goose might never have been "hatched" to accommodate mountain travel. The RSG's early revenues came mainly from the silver and gold mines near Telluride, Ophir and Rico. But the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act caused the Silver Panic of 1893, and silver prices plummeted. As a result, many silver mines were closed, and the railroad slipped into it's first receivership that same year. Nevertheless, the railroad survived — just barely at times — for another 40 years hauling various commodities and passengers until the stock market crash in 1929 spelled the almost certain financial failure of the railroad. It was time to economize! But there remained an obligation and responsibility for the railroad to provide reliable transportation of small amounts of freight, passengers and the always important U.S. mail. There had to be a way! There was. That way was born as an idea that built what later became widely known as the Galloping Goose.

Town of Dolores