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Colorado circa 1900. "In the Royal Gorge, Arkansas River, Rio Grande Southern Railway." 8x10 glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
The Denver & Rio Grande didn't become the D&RGW until the 1920's when they officially absorbed the western lines to Salt Lake City (Rio Grande Western.)
The Rio Grande used "telegraphones" back in those days ... using the telegraph wires with phone superinmposed atop them.
Skip Luke
Retired Railroader
Looks like a standard telegraph booth. Definitely dual guage gauge & not a guard rail. And if you were to build a model of that structure, you'd best have this photo on display too, otherwise nobody would believe it was for real!
Today's Royal Gorge Route Railroad operates through this canyon out of Canyon City, CO. The line is no longer dual-gauge. And that's the famous Hanging Bridge that still holds up the line today (scroll down quite a ways).
More likely it's a telephone box, to allow traincrews to talk to the dispatcher.
This was the Denver & Rio Grande Western not the Rio Grande Southern. I would guess that the line is still dual gauge (both standard gauge and 3 foot gauge) - i.e. that the third rail is not a guard rail.
Curious about the little building with wires running to it. My guess would be a telegraph station. Any other thoughts??
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