Crested Butte Depot

In 1883, Rio Grande built sixteen depot structures[1]. Among them, three depot structures are surviving to this day: Wagon Wheel Gap, Crested Butte and Santa Fe. I previously represented depots at Santa Fe and Wagon Wheel Gap. This time, I’ll introduce the rest. The purpose is to clarify the appearance of depot at Cisco, Utah, which seems first built same year.


This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; the depot at Crested Butte.

According to Denver & Rio Grande Western Depots Volume 1 by Clive Carter, Crested Butte depot was built in 1883 with two-story frame structure of wood shingles roof, drop siding walls and wood singles gables. It was retired in 1953.

The depot structure was registered as National Register of Historic Places in 2001[2]. Today, High Country Conservation Advocates occupies the north half, while the south half is available for rent[3]. S scale (1:64) laser-cut wood craftsman kit of the depot is available from Ragg’s to Riches?[4].


The narrow gauge Crested Butte Branch reached Crested Butte in 1881, and was abandoned in 1954[5].

All photos taken on Sep. 6, 2017

[1] Carter, Clive (2013) Denver & Rio Grande Western Depots Vol. 1, 2
[2] National Register of Historic Places Inventory Form;
[3] Town of Crested Butte web page;
[4] Ragg’s to Riches? web page;
[5] Holmes, Nathan D., (2009) “D&RG/D&RGW Crested Butte Branch History” DRGW.Net;






旧D&RGW沿線に今も遺るRio Grandeの遺物を紹介している。

この建物は、元Rio GrandeのCrested Butte駅舎である。1883年竣工の木造二階建てで、1953年用途廃止になり、現在はHigh Country Conservation Advocatesという団体の事務所として用いられている。ユタ州シスコの町にあった駅舎と同じ、クィーン・アン様式と称されるデザインの駅舎である。

Gunnisonを起点とするCrested Butte Branchがここまで到達したのは1881年。近くの炭鉱から産出される石炭を運んだ。Branchは1954年に廃線になっている。