Rio Grande Southern Coach 252

This car was built by Jackson and Sharp in 1880 as the D&RG ‘Gothic’, sold to Otto Mears and lettered Rio Grande Southern 252 in 1891.  It was used on the daily passenger trains between Ridgway and Durango until the early thirties when the passenger trains were replaced with ‘Motors’.  It carried 48 passengers in flip over ‘Buntin’ seats.  It had a bathroom and (one later two) coal stoves.  It was finished with varnished ash paneling and a white ceiling with kerosene lamps.  Seats are being built and will be installed in 2020.  After the RGS was scrapped it was sold to Bob and Connie Schaeffer for $150.  They spent another $300 getting it moved from Dallas Divide to a lot on the south side of Trout Lake.  It was the Schaeffer cabin for about 9 years until sold.  It was subsequently sold again to Don Shank and moved to Durango, CO in about 2000.  It was moved to Monte Vista, CO. It was later traded to the Willamette Valley RR in about 2014.  The Schaeffer family bought it in 2016, donated it to the RRM and it was moved to Ridgway on 5/23/16.  We are completing restoration and will use it behind the steam locomotive (RGS 36) we are getting.  It has a Miller Hook coupler on the south end as it was equipped when new.  It got Janney couplers(which it has on the north end) when the railroad converted to knuckle couplers in 1903.  We are having a set of trucks made for this car.

1) RGS Coach 252 as a work car 0252 in the 1930s.

2) RGS Coach 252 at Trout Lake in the 1970s.

3) Coach 252 after being moved to Monte Vista, CO

4) Coach 252 arriving in Ridgway on May 23, 2016

5) Coach 252 with new end sill and decking

6) Coach 252 getting new clerestory windows, Sept. 17, 2019