Dirk Ramsey

I am sorry to say that I learned yesterday that longtime NGDF poster, and my cousin, Dirk Ramsey passed away in May at his home in Ufa, Russia.

Dirk was a longtime volunteer at the Colorado Railroad Museum starting in the early 60's. He hired out as a laborer on the DRGW in the mid 60's and eventually worked his way up to machinist and locomotive foreman. He retired from the UP as the Pueblo, CO roundhouse foreman and relocated to Walden, CO. He served as the mayor of Walden for several years. He eventually moved to Russia and lived his retirement life there with his wife, Olga.

Dirk was involved early with returning DRGW 346 to service in the early 60's. While working at the Burnham Shops, he was able to obtain and fabricate whatever may have been needed as well as obtaining used tools for use at the museum. We would often chuckle that in 1981, he was loading air pumps, lubricators, brake valves, etc. at Burnham for shipment to Durango as parts for the new Durango and Silverton. I would be unloading the same parts in Durango. Kind of a "passing" of the narrow gauge from the DRGW to the future of the Silverton Branch and a new era...one Ramsey to another.

Rest in Peace Cuz.......not many of us Ramsey's left....





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2020 08:26AM by MD Ramsey.