The Western RareRoads
Join Western Railroad Americana on a journey through time in the American West as we present some of the finest and rarest western railroad antiques in a series of informative articles that will include historical context and pictures.
The Western RareRoads, Article 1: The MaDONNA MINE
The Lantern: M.M. Buck Model 1880 brasstop bell bottom, fixed globe retainer, double marked “MaDONNA MINE”. M.M. Buck hallmark on the bell bottom strap.
The context: Chaffe City, Colorado, located at an elevation of 10,751 feet, was a hot bed of mining activity that contributed significant carload traffic to the narrow gauge Denver and Rio Grande Railway (D&RGRy).
The Western RareRoads, Article 2: The Denver & Rio Grande Railway And Its Markings
During its early years the Denver & Rio Grande Railway Company abbreviated its railway name several ways: RW, RY and R.Co. This article attempts to straighten out when these abbreviations were used as demonstrated by markings on various artifacts produced for the D&RG.
