Re: RGS - July 1976

Down in Rico, there were still considerable ruins to explore. When the RGS gave up, the Rico-Argentine Mine bought the entire yard as well as the mainline up north a couple of miles toward Coke Ovens. They used the rail for ore haulage in their mine, but promptly bulldozed all the structures ( I assume the tax thing again) - except the water tank. The mining company was not at all interesting preserving history. Bob Richardson mentioned finding kegs of Jeffery spikes in the freight shed of the depot as well as a pigeon hole wall case stuffed with old dispatching records from when the RGS was dispatched from Rico in the early 1890's. When he asked if he could have this stuff, the mining company said, "no, we're sending all those spikes to scrap and burning all those records".

Real swell fellas.

Around 1980, the mining company came in and "cleaned up" the Rico yard site, hauling away any trace that anything was ever there, except for the water tank, which through the efforts of a few history minded locals stands to this day.. But in July, 1976 there were still some neat stuff to see.

The water tank..


The depot building and enginehouse were early victims. They were knocked down, but the wreckage remained for years. Here is the depot.


On the west side of the north enginehouse lead were several car bodies set out for the roadmaster and section forces.


My little brother checks things out..


A very cool find was in the ruins of the engine house. The big three stall rectangular brick building had been knocked down, but the rails over the inspection pits had never been pulled out. So, here in the ruins of the RGS Rico enginehouse were the last rails of the Rio Grande Southern still spiked to gauge. Cool stuff...
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