Hello!

My name is Lauren Giebler and I am the Curator at the Colorado Railroad Museum. In light of recent misinformation distributed on this and other forums, I have joined the discussion.

D&RG RPO No. 6 was built 1880 by Billmeyer & Smith. It was numbered D&RG 6 to 1885, 50 to 1891 when sold to RGS; body set out at Vance Junction 1904; purchased 7/1984 by CRRM.

In July, 2011 the condition of the car was severe. The car had deteriorated to the point where not enough original material was salvageable to qualify it as a restoration. Any work done above and beyond stabilization would qualify the car as a replica.

The board voted to carefully dismantle the car, take detailed notes and drawings, and create a replica of the car at a later date. This has been done and the notes are being archived.

To insinuate any decision regarding RPO No. 6 was made lightly and without regard to its historic importance is at the least inaccurate and the at the most, malicious. Deaccessions are made according to our Collections Management Policy and only after lengthy consideration. The car's age combined with its condition, the amount of work and material needed to create a suitable replica, and the number of other projects we have on board were all considered in this decision.

For additional information about our Collections policy, the disposition of RPO No.6, or current events and projects at the Museum, please feel free to contact me at anytime at lauren@crrm.org