Durango & Silverton Colorado Rail Line Heavy Metal Belt Buckle

MOUNTAIN WEST. 
Belt Buckle (Gold Rim), Souvenir, 1983. 

A self proclaimed “Scenic Line Of The World”, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad was originally part of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway. The line opened in 1882 to run between the then recently founded town of Durango, Colorado, and a mining community in Baker’s Park. That entire region around the San Juan Mountains experienced a mining boom that began at the start of the 1880s and lasted until the 1910s. It was facilitated by the construction of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway. The plan to construct a narrow gauge branch that would climb the 45 miles from Durango to the mines at Baker’s Park, creating a means to transport metal ore as well as sightseers, relied heavily on the labor of Chinese and Irish immigrants. And the land claimed by prospectors as Baker’s Park, where the town of Silverton would be platted once that new narrow gauge railway reached its boundary, was, like most Western territories, already home to a Native Nation. The Wiinuuchi Ute band were relocated out of that Animas River region and forced further west in the state. Such history is not surprising, and should be taken into consideration when talking about the still impressive achievements made during America’s expansion west. The fashioners of this heavy metal belt buckle demonstrated a pride of place and workmanship which is also worthy of mention. The D&SNG relief sculpted into the front captures in grand detail trains one and two, number 481 & 423, at the Durango station. On the back there is an impressive amount of information, including the buckle serial # (137), several references to it having been U.S. made, and a nod to Charles E. Bradshaw, Jr., president of the railway circa 1983. He purchased the narrow gauge rail line in 1981 and renamed it to “Durango & Silverton” - a transformative move that rescued its fortunes. It became a successful tourist attraction in Colorado, carrying 200,000 plus sightseers a year. In 2000 it was voted by National Geographic as the best train ride in the United States. 

Condition: Like New. 
Local / Regional Attractions. 
Dimensions: 3.25” wide x 2.75” high x 0.25” deep / 9 oz