Ridgway Railroad Museum

Southwest Colorado

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Ridgway was the birthplace of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, a narrow-gauge rail line that connected to Durango with the ‘Galloping Goose,’ a kind of hybrid train and truck that saved the struggling Rio Grande Southern for a number of years. This museum is dedicated to the plucky rail line.

The volunteers who staff the museum are true railroad zealots – one even reconstructed a Galloping Goose engine outside from photos and sketches. The permanent collection has maps, historical photos and a really cool diorama of the Pleasant Valley Trestle and Motor #2. It’s also the de facto historical museum for the town, and it has good brochures for a short self-guided tour.

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