Re: Reason for no end doors on a D&RGW stockcar?-photos attached

Don't quote me on this, but I do think that they were filled in. My Dad and I spent a lot of time examining the cars for details and such after they were moved. What I thought was really great was that you could see where different paint schemes showed through. Both cars finished their careers with speed lettering, but the traces of the style 3 lettering as Vic Stone described it, show through on both cars. Also, on one, I think it is also the 5558, it appears that the original D&RG lettering and numbering remains in places.

My Dad and I were quite happy to save them. After all of the exploring that we have done around the San Luis Valley since 2003, we only found a total of 7 stock cars in the valley, aside from the 4 5900's. Of those 7, 1 was nearly broken in two (number unknown, we didn't get a chance to look inside), and two more are disconnected from their frames (which are still on site), essentially meaning that only 4 good cars remained, and I really do think that we got the best of them. It's sad to think of how many have disappeared recently. The entire Honeycutt collection disappeared between 2003 and 2004 when the property changed hands. A neighbor told us that the carbodies had been sold. Maybe so, but, we didn't find a single one anywhere in the valley, and I'm afraid that if they were sold, they've probably long since become firewood and scrap. 24 5500's gone in one fell swoop...

Now the area around Montrose and Olathe is the last place to really find D&RGW stock cars in the wild. Bill Pratt has tracked down nearly two dozen if I remember right.

As for the location of the two that we bought, they were located east of Highway 285 in the region of La Jara and Estrella. In plan sight, but like so much of the SLV, if you haven't been on the back roads, you'd never know they were there. Some 200 NG bodies later, I can claim to have scouted nearly the entire SLV for cars. A few small areas remain, but, it looks like I've got to move to new hunting grounds. Sometimes it gets really monotonous, but, it's pretty cool to be able to see so much ancient farm equipment and autos, you get to meet a wide spectrum of people (most people don't think we're totally crazy once we've explained why we're there. Breaking the ice is always interesting...), and it's really worth it when you come across that big find.

If I ever get real daring, I'd go try and hunt up some stuff in DSP&P country. It's been so long since that line went inactive, and there are so many confirmed back reports about equipment being destroyed, I know that it doesn't hold much promise though. What I wouldn't give to have a time machine to take me back to the 1940's or 50's (with a good chunk of cash, because I know that's what made some equipment neigh impossibl e to save), and gather up all of the NG cars in Colorado that had ended their railroad careers, and are no longer with us.

Well, I should probably stop dreaming. The prospect of finding anything fantastic like a Tiffany reefer or an original piece of pre-C&S Equipment that isn't already well known or in safe hands is pretty low. Sigh I guess one just has to work with what you have.