The question came up about why the lack of coaches on the C&TS, and the need for the P-Boxes.

Short synopsis. The D&RGW began working to cut losses from narrow gauge operations during its receivership, and continued to aggressively remove branch lines after it returned to some semblance of financial health and the receivership was ended in 1947. Rio Grande Motorways was organized as a highway subsidiary to serve communities on branch lines for less than the cost of running trains. A large block of narrow gauge passenger equipment and two of the K-27 class locomotives were sold to the Nacionales de Mexico in 1941. Enough cars were on hand for the remaining service - the San Juan, the Silverton, and odd special movements on the RGS. With discontinuance of the San Juan in 1951, the D&RGW expected the abandonment of the entire narrow gauge within ten to fifteen years (when the oil field traffic to Farmington ended), and saw no need to obtain more three foot gauge coaches.

Even though there had been an effort to promote the summer only Silverton service starting in 1950, the D&RGW expected the entire narrow gauge to be gone within a few years, and thought it had enough equipment for its needs. By 1961, though, the train had become so popular that passengers were turned away daily, and the ICC had refused to allow the D&RGW to abandon the branch, because it was too profitable.

Unfortunately, the passenger fleet still owned by the D&RGW in 1961 was too small to handle the business potential. The D&RGW narrow gauge passenger fleet consisted of ten cars: one baggage (126), one combine (212), seven coaches, and the Alamosa, which had been converted into a coach in 1957. There were two privately owned former business cars (Cinco Animas and Nomad) and the railroad's last narrow gauge business car, B-7. The railroad needed enough cars for another ten car train, or maybe a few more. So, the Bunham shops built steel coaches, and converted 40 foot long pipe gondolas into observation cars. All of these used passenger trucks taken from former passenger cars remaining in maintenance service on the D&RGW, and from the retired wooden open platform coaches (bodies to Colorado RR Museum and elsewhere). By 1970, the D&RGW was adequately stocked with coaches for the Silverton, and they were not going to sell any to the states, because the D&RGW needed them.

Which is why the P-Boxes were necessary. The C&TS needed to have coaches to carry riders, and converted box cars were the most economical way to do it. As the D&RGW sold the Silverton branch to Charles Bradshaw, the D&SNG began working on increasing the coach fleet, and actually built some new coach trucks for some of their new equipment, and for some of the refurbished cars, former MOW cars or car bodies which had been restored. The D&SNG at some point decided to change the springs, but retain freight trucks for some of the open cars they built. The C&TS has always used freight trucks in its passenger cars, first the P-Boxes, and later the converted flat cars. But, the C&TS, like the Colorado Railroad Museum and other museums with bodies which lack appropriate trucks, has begun fabricating new coach trucks for the historic passenger car fleet. We truly live in exciting times.

Seriously, if you don't have them in your library, Colorado Rail Annuals 24 and 25 are very helpful for anyone interested in the passenger cars on the D&RG / D&RGW narrow gauge. Highly recommended.

CVM
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2017 05:40PM by Charlie Mutschler.