Last Narrow Gauge Run From Montrose, 1953

It was this time of year, March 1953, that the last narrow gauge train was ready to make it's final run from Montrose to Ouray and return. The event happened on March 21st, but the line was being prepared to become standard gauge, for several months before that. This event is a personal one to me. My Father worked for the D&RGW and was on the crew that did the conversion. We lived in an outfit car in Montrose until the summer of 1954. Then it was off to Salida to start preparation there for standard gauging the Monarch branch. I was born in Montrose during our stay there, so, of course, I don't remember any of it. We did continue to live on the rails until 1959. It was time for me to start school, so my Mother and I lived at Grand Lake, Colorado in a house. I had never lived in a house before. Dad continued to live in the outfit car until 1971. He retied in 1977 and passed away in 2003....at the age of 90. Before his passing, I showed him the attached photo and he confirmed that he is the tall guy wearing the brimed hard hat in the center of the picture. That hat was issued to him by the D&RGW when he did track work in the Tennessee Pass tunnel. As most of you know, the locomotive is #318.


The photo was taken by Bob Ricahrdson on march 21, 1953 and is from the Denver Public library.

Jerry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2009 12:08PM by jalbers.