AAW WORK (OUTFIT) CAR On April 3, 2010 All Aboard Westcliffe

AAW WORK (OUTFIT) CAR
On April 3, 2010 All Aboard Westcliffe received a letter from Jason Midyette, President of the
Boulder County Railway Historical Society, Inc. The BCRHS was offering the Denver & Rio Grande
Western work car #010343 to the AAW Museum because the BCRHS board felt like it would fit into the
AAW D&RGW collection located in Westcliffe Colorado. At that time the car was at the BCRHS site
north-east of Boulder, Colorado. April 10, 2010 Mel Porth, Co-Chairman of All Aboard Westcliffe quickly
informed Jason by letter that AAW was interested but would have to have board approval before they
could act. Mel assured him the board would approve the transaction.
During the acquisition by AAW, Jason mentioned the car had been derailed toward the end of its
service, which probably accounts for it finding a way into private ownership.
The car was orginally built, as one of a group of box cars for the Rio Grande Western in Utah, in
1898 by the Illinois Car and Equipment Company and numbered #14335. In May of 1920 the car was
retrofited into an outfit bunk car and renumbered #010343. In March of 1942 it was dismantled in
D&RGW’s Burnham shop located in Denver Colorado. The car was part of a group of 350 cars orginally
numbered between 1675 and 2124 on the Rio Grande Western. The car was acquired by Denver & Rio
Grande, prior to to the 1921 merger that created Denver & Rio Grande Western.
Followings it’s retirement the car body was
sold and used as a shed on a farm near Niwot
Colorado. Daniel Quiat acquired the car in 1999
and donated it to the BCRHS in May of 2002. The
car was then transferred to a BCRHS location at
Valmont. Photo on the right was D&RGW car
#010343 in storage in Strasburg Colorado in 2002
waiting to be transferred to the Valmont site.
The photo on the left was taken in 2004 at
Valmont site. At the BCRHS Valmont site some of the
siding was replaced and the car was placed on vintage
trucks
awaiting
shipment to
Westcliffe.
The work car was set at the Westcliffe AAW location October
21, 2010. A long restoration process was started by AAW
volunteers.
The inside of the car had to be stablized
for transit.
The work car was used for both cooking and sleeping facilities for the work crew.
On July 7, 2014 AAW members
inaugurated the work car by having a combination
pot luck and meeting in the completed car.
AAW volunteers, Trudy, Doris and Marie do the
detailed lettering.
The work car was missing the couplers
when it arrived from Valmont. Many years ago,
Jim Colman of Gunnison Colorado, started his
railroad salvage business due to the number of
railroad lines being abandoned in the area. Over
the years he has been very generous with
supplying AAW with rails, plates and ETC. Mel
asked him if he could locate a set of couplers
needed for work car #010343. Jim called back
informing Mel that 50 years ago he had taken 5
flatcars to his brother, Miles’ ranch just south of
Westcliffe to use as bridges. The flatcars were
still stacked on Miles’ ranch and Mel was able to
rescue a set of narrow gauge couplers for the
Caboose. Kenny Patterson guides the coupler into position with his back hoe under the careful guidance
of Mel Porth. It took a lot of modification of the coupler to make it fit the workcar along with a lot of
blocking and jacking. The coupler was attached to
the workcar with original bolts that had been
repaired.
Two of Westcliffe’s professional painters,
Cindy and her daughter, Kydall volunteered to
finish painting the backside of the work car.
Now the 123 year old Denver & Rio Grande Western work car #010343 awaits its new
assignment of either displaying her past or as a special event car for generations to come.
Now that work car #010343 is complete the AAW is taking on its next exciting project, the Westcliffe
Denver & Rio Grande Western Depot.
The D&RGW depot was built in 1901 when the trains returned to
Westcliffe. It is now two apartments but will be returned to its original
condition and arrangement for use as a depot.
Removing some of the sheet rock exposed the original bead board
siding used in buildings constructed in the 1900’s. It will be an exciting
project for the active AAW volunteers.
Also on the AAW project list is maybe one of the only remaining D&RGW box cars retrofitted
into a caboose. It also served as a retired D&RGW conductor’s home at one time.
Copy right 2014 by John Swartley