March 11, 1905 Silverton Standard
Arthur Ridgway returned from a two weeks’ business trip to New York City Saturday last. Mr. Ridgway states that the Silverton Railroad company , which he represents, is preparing for a season’s business unequalled by former years, and that the new gasoline engine on the Silverton Northern Railway between Silverton and Animas Forks are nearing completion and will be put into service on or about May first.
[It broke down and was towed into Monero, and then back to Chama, and likely returned to the factory]
May 26, 1906 Silverton Standard
The Tom Moore mine has started up with a force of men, and before long the Animas gulch, above Eureka, will present a busy scene, with the Tom Moore, Silver Wing, Toltec Tunnel, Lions Tunnel, Bagley Tunnel, and the Gold Prince, all busy, and with a passenger train every day to Animas Forks.
Aug 25, 1906 Silverton Standard
Last spring Otto Mears promised the people of Silverton that the railroad condition, as far at least as they related to the Silverton and Silverton Northern roads, would be much improved during the summer. He has kept this word. During the past week the task of replacing the light rails on the entire length of the Silverton road with 45-pound rails was completed and now there is no better or safer road in the country. He also has a large force of men at work building great and solid snow sheds on the road between Eureka and Animas Forks and while he may not be able to complete this stupendous undertaking this season he will at least cover the worst places to such an extent that by very little work he will be able to keep the road open during the winter months.
Oct 13, 1906: Silverton Standard
The first of the great snowslide sheds which Otto Mears is building along the line of the Silverton Northern railway, between Eureka and Animas Forks, is nearing completion. It is about 500 feet long and is erected at the most dangerous point between the two places, near the Silver Wing property and about two miles beyond Eureka.
The solid walls of cribbing lined ten feet through with rocks and fortified with timber of massive proportions, line either side of the track. The resisting power of the structure is tremendous, and there is no fear of its ability to withstand all the snow from above and to turn it into the stream below. The slides from the opposite side of the river are the ones to be feared, as they would strike the structure from below and with full force on the side.
Should the coming winter be a severe one, the shed will be given a thorough test, as it will be apt[si] to have at least one visitation by the avalanche. If it proves true to its mission, next year will see every danger point between Eureka and Animas Forks guarded by the most complete and formidable system of snowsheds know to the American continent, if not the world.
Oct 26, 1906 Silverton Standard
The regular passenger train on The Silverton Northern railroad from Animas Forks, due here at 5:45 pm, was delayed three hours Thursday, owing to one of the cars of the afternoon freight train jumping the track on a curve a short distance above the Silver Lake station. No one was injured and the only damage sustained was loss of time.
It is legion that says that before the end of the year, a snow slide came down and left the tremendous structure destroyed upon the track. That ended that idea. For some reason the story of its destruction did not seem to be covered in the Silverton Standard. It might have been just too upsetting for anyone to read so it was not recorded, except by some distant newspaper.
