Osier is a

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

Conejos County, Colorado Conejos County (Spanish language, Spanish for "rabbits") is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,461. The county seat is the Unincorporated area, unincorporated c ...

, U.S. Although the U.S.

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the Compact of Free Association, asso ...

classifies it as a populated place, it is really a ghost town, as no one lives there any longer. It is an old railroad settlement and

train stop Part of a railway signalling system, a train stop, trip stop or tripcock (sometimes called a tripper) is a train protection device that automatically stops a train if it attempts to pass a signal when the signal aspect and operating rules proh ...

approximately halfway along the

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, often abbreviated as the C&TSRR, is a Narrow-gauge railway, narrow-gauge Heritage railway, heritage railroad that operates on of track between Antonito, Colorado, and Chama, New Mexico, in the United Sta ...

where trains from both ends of the line meet and stop for lunch, making it possible for passengers to either continue in the same direction or return to their point of origin afterwards. This location by the Rio de los Pinos river was the halfway point on the old

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented to help recoup the costs of road construction and ...

from Conejos, Colorado, to

Chama, New Mexico Chama is a village in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 917 at the 2020 census. The village is located in the Rocky Mountains about south of the Colorado-New Mexico border. Geography Chama is located on the Ri ...

, and can be reached by Forest Road 103 from State Highway 17. Osier's elevation is .

History

In 1878, the valley where Osier lies was the location of the toll gate for the Park View and Ft. Garland toll road. In 1880, the

Denver and Rio Grande Railroad The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south fro ...

created Osier in the course of building the narrow gauge San Juan Extension from

Alamosa, Colorado Alamosa is the List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city that is the county seat of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. Alamosa is located along the Rio Grande. The city population was 9,806 in the 2020 Unit ...

, to

Durango, Colorado Durango is the home rule city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis College ...

.''Ticket To Toltec'' by Doris Osterwald, 1979 The Rio Grande built several other structures at Osier including a section house,

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

water tank A water tank is a container for Water storage, storing water, for many applications, drinking water, irrigation, fire suppression, farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many other uses. Water ...

and bunk house. More recently, the Rio Grande's successor, the

, built a kitchen and dining facility where passengers are served a hot lunch every day the trains are running (which is only during the summer season). Osier was where six

snowmobile A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. Their engines normally ...

riders sought refuge after becoming lost in the Colorado backcountry in early January 2008. A snowstorm and threat of avalanche delayed rescuers, and the two families in the group broke into the kitchen where they found popcorn, chicken bouillon and gravy mix, keeping them alive until help could arrive.ABCNews article
found June 12, 2011

Location

* Osier Station

Nearby locations along the Cumbres & Toltec

* Cumbres Pass * Toltec Gorge * Sublette Station

References

External links

Official Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad web site
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Conejos County, Colorado Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Populated places established in 1880 1880 establishments in Colorado Ghost towns in Colorado

History

Location

Nearby locations along the Cumbres & Toltec

See also

References

External links