New! Special Edition Boxcar 3468 in Rio Grande Gold!

In 1964, the D&RGW crews in Durango, Colorado were in full swing revamping the image of the Silverton Branch. A failed attempt to abandon the branch line prompted the railroad's newfound commitment to more properly exploit the growing tourist trade. New steel coaches arrived in 1963 and 1964 to accommodate a second train on the daily runs to Silverton, Colorado.

The railroad also purchased property around the depot to attract new businesses that would cater to the visiting throngs of tourists and rail buffs throughout the summer. Rio Grande Land was born!

Baggage car 126 and Combine 212 had previously been used to haul general supplies for the Silverton trains. Now they were outfitted with concession equipment for the growing passenger business. It was therefore decided to utilize freight Boxcar nos. 3468 and 3219 to handle the baggage needs.

To keep these cars looking comparable with the decade-old "Grande Gold" paint scheme, they were decorated in the bright livery to compliment the passenger car fleet on the daily summer runs to Silverton. Previously hauling everything from wallboard for the construction industry to barite headed for the oil fields of Farmington, New Mexico, boxcar 3468 had been in routine freight service between Alamosa, Colorado and Farmington throughout the 1950s. We have recreated the 3468's gold paint scheme just as it was freshly shopped in April of 1964.