THE RGS STORY

Vol. 3

Over the Bridges... Vance Junction to Ophir

by Russ Collman, Dell A. McCoy and William A. Graves

OUT OF PRINT

Book is USED; it was a library copy that was sold and is in reasonably good condition but dust cover is missing; there is some wear to the outside cover edges, but the book itself is in good condition (it does not appear to have been read very much); Sundance Publications, Ltd.; first edition; 1993; hardbound; 8 1/2 x 11 inches; 496 pages; indexed; w/deluxe plastic dust jacket; 85 full-color photos; 354 black & white views; 32 detailed maps; features line drawings of buildings and structures along the RGS by Mike Blazek plus maps and additional structure plans by Jim Key;

ISBN # 0-913582-50-6.

CONTENTS:

1. *Stations, Sidings and Major Bridges
2. *Narrow-Gauge Railroading in the Ophir Loop Region
3. *The RGS Ophir Station Grounds and Depot
4. *Vera and Randolph Belisle and the Ophir Depot
5. *The Little Mining Town of Ophir
6. *The Mines in the Ophir Loop Area

THE RGS STORY--Volume 3--graphically presents the history of the battle the Rio Grande Southern was up against in keeping its narrow-gauge line open from Vance Junction to the fantastic Ophir Loop. If it was not the normal accumulation of winter's snow to clear from the track, avalanches would make the battle worse, and if that was not enough, the flood of 1909 very nearly took out all of the bridges on this segment of the line--as well as a lot of track. Articles are reprinted from The San Miguel Examiner, one of Telluride's flamboyant newspapers during the early part of the century.

The primary reason for the existence of the RGS was the presence of rich gold and silver deposits in the high mountain regions between Telluride, Ouray and Rico. The valuable mines at Alta Lakes and the mining district surrounding Ophir are included in Volume 3.

ROBERT W. RICHARDSON, the founder of the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado, wrote several historic accounts about the RGS for Volume 3 of  THE RGS STORY.   Drawings and photographs clearly illustrate the awesome bridges built over deep gulches and ravines to span high mountain creeks along this section of the RGS--all 10 of them along this rugged 7.5 mile mainline of the road. The station grounds at Ophir and the classic wooden depot are wonderfully portrayed in Volume 3. Marvel at the superb, four-page-fold-out panoramic photograph of the Ophir Loop with detailed map of the Loop on reverse.

Places in this book: Telluride, Pandora, San Miguel County, Vance Junction, Ilium, Illium, Anderson, Ames, Butterfly, Ophir, Ophir Loop

ABOUT THE SERIES:

Not since the release of The Silver San Juan, by Mallory Ferrell, has a publication concerning the Rio Grande Southern Railroad been so widely acclaimed. This magnificent series of volumes completely covers the history of the fabulous narrow-gauge RGS and the fascinating mining industry, lumber operations and other enterprises that supported this little line. Here is a truly classic multi-volume work that will allow you to cover the entire route of the legendary RGS, beginning in Ridgway--in the north--and ending at Durango, once the southern terminus of this enchanting steam railway. En route, you will travel over every mile and past every station of the RGS--over the high peaks of the San Juan Mountains, crossing the spindly timber bridges as you travel back in time to Colorado's "boom and bust" gold-and-silver mining era.