Re: RGS - July 1976

From here it was down the river to Dolores. Following the RGS down the Dolores River was tough, even today you have to do some serious poking around. The modern highway buries much of it. I was hoping to find something at Stoner Creek, but the asphalt covers it all. It was getting to be pretty late in the afternoon when we stopped in Dolores to pay homage to Goose 5. It's restoration still 20 years in the future. The replica depot was built in the parking lot behind in this shot...


Dad wasn't about to subject his new car to the then gravel road that went directly from Dolores to Mancos, or attempt any explorations into Lost Canon. So, we headed down to Cortez, made a left and went back through Mancos. The modern highway occupies the railroad right of way. I managed to get dad to stop long enough for me to take a long telephoto shot of the freight portion of the Mancos Depot, station sign still intact (Mike Ramsey got the sign some years later).


From here it was back over the hills to Durango. I longingly looked at the Madden Peak forest service road that took you up to Grady Siding and at the ties on the grade just west of Hesperus as we zoomed east. Another ".....someday..." moment. Back in Durango, we went back to our room at the old Travel Lodge on 7th St.that had a clear view of the roundhouse and depot. We cleaned up a bit and then went to down to the "T-Bone", another long gone Durango establishment to enjoy a big steak and ponder the existence of the Farmington Branch's Wilson Gulch Trestle, just outside the window...

Thanks for watching.......