The true-life blood of the Colorado railroads came pouring out of the mountains as tiny bits of ore, not small amounts but thousands of tons, year after year. As long as a market for the mainly silver ore existed at a price that rewarded the mine owners and their workers, these mountains of ore would keep flowing.

Scattered ore bodies were created at the same time that the ancient oceans were teaming with the early life forms tens of millions years ago. Hot water vents at the depths of these oceans spewed dissolved minerals onto the ocean bed, lava carried ores to the surface levels. The planet worked its miracles, and hid them away in the tall mountains that were pushed skyward over millions of years. This activity was like Mother Nature was playing with us, and did we play. With the opening of the San Juan Mountains in the 1850’s, a new group of explorers replaced the earlier hunters & traders; these newcomers arrived with a new quest, vast wealth. Not unlike the California Gold Rush in 1849, this Colorado Silver Rush saw thousands of knowledgeable and the uninitiated but hopeful miners tackle the Colorado Mountains. These Rocky Mountains made the California Sierra Mountains look like child play. It did not take much time for the silver miners widespread exploration to center on small areas of the mountains that showed "color".

In the San Juan Mountains that cover the southwest corner of Colorado, these mining operations centered on several areas that centered on the mountains towns of Telluride, Silverton and Creede, this was the San Juan Mother Load. Because of the quantity of silver removed from this mountainous area it became known just as the Silver San Juan’s

The cost of maintaining these rail lines of commerce was high under the best of situations. Through these mountains, costs were much higher and high profit cargo such as ore was needed to cover these mountain climbing lines. Increasing the basic costs was the fact that early steam rail lines needed water stops about every 15 miles on flat land and at 10-mile increments or less in the mountains. Small section towns were built at these watering stops, usually manned by a family that not only made sure the water would flow but the man of the house and even his children and wife helped maintain the track half way in either direction to the next section town. In the mountain passes it was necessary to have numerous workers to repair track, remove rock slides and to clear the track of snows that can occur nine months out of the year.

Many of these towns disappeared over time when the close-knit network of section towns became unnecessary. With the advent of larger engines and conversion of many of the lines to standard gauge, the new engines would carry far larger amounts of water and coal. To reduce costs many section towns were closed, thus ending an era but saving the rail company an enormous expense. Many of those that were left in operation became towns that supplied not only water and track maintenance but Warehouses, loading facilities for the farmers, Stations for passengers and a gathering place for the kids that were amazed at these steam belching monsters. These train men and engineers were the Heroes of the 1880’s, no less than the Aviators of the 1930’s that were flying the oceans of the world, and the Astronauts of the 1970’s defying space on their trips to and from the moon.

There were very few changes on the line except for the turn of the century change to standard gauge. Widening the bridges created the majority of the work and the relaying of track and ties did not require any reworking of the roadbed or its realignment.

Conversion to Diesel power was slow and it was not until 195? that the last steam ran up to Creede. The need for watering tanks evaporated and most water tanks on the Standard Gauge line were abandoned to their fate of fire or collapse. The only tank left out of dozens in the valley is in South Fork. The narrow gauge lines in Antonito and Durango still use steam and have numerous water tanks.

Note: Our water needs are at each end and supplied by normal wells. Plans are to rebuild the tanks at the "Gap" and at Creede. These will be for Display only.

With the closing of the last mine in Creede in 1985 a railroading era passed and the line fell silent…

Rail traffic continued into South Fork supporting the lumber mill until the mill closed in 2001 Occasional trains will arrive into South Fork supplying the needs of this rail line and additional local freight needs.

IN 1999, the Denver & Rio Grande Historical Foundation purchases the branch line from South Fork to the north end of Creede and places it back under the original 1870’s operational name of The Denver & Rio Grande Railway.

The line is placed on the National and State Historic Register in 2001.

The Denver & Rio Grande Railway plans are to reintroduce Freight Service in 2006 and Passenger Service in 2007.