An annual membership in the Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society helps to sustain this world-class institution while enjoying many outstanding benefits throughout the year.

October 27, 1870 is etched in the history of Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. On that day, General William Jackson Palmer and his associates filed articles of incorporation for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Over the next century, this railroad would weave its tracks through rugged mountain passes, defying nature’s obstacles. It’s a tale of men and machines—of laborers driving spikes into rock and steam locomotives conquering elevation and gravity. Beyond the tracks, decisions unfolded in boardrooms, where visionaries plotted expansion and prosperity. The railroad attracted dreamers and schemers alike. And it carved its path “through the Rockies, not around them.”

Although the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad is now part of the vast Union Pacific system, it's a fascinating story we try to keep alive through the efforts of the Society to ensure that the memory of the railroad lives on.

The RGM&HS publishes The Prospector, our professionally produced and beautifully illustrated quarterly magazine featuring the finest work of historians and other experts on all aspects of Rio Grande Railroad. We make available individual issues and volume sets of the magazine for purchase from our website—from the current issue to back issues of The Prospector over the past 20 years back to Volume 1 which was first published in 2002.

The Green Light is the society's electronic newsletter delivered eight times a year via e-mail and is intended to provide information not included in the regular issues of The Prospector magazine.  In each issue of the Green Light, we cover Society news, highlighting current operations over former Rio Grande territory, and preservation  initiatives geared to educate interested Individuals in the rich history of the railroad.  We also promote our society functions, social gatherings, annual convention, and photo and data archiving.  We also promote Rio Grande related products like books, calendars, and model railroad  announcements.

Our website has a wealth of information that is useful to Society members and non-members alike. you'll find  information specific to both steam and diesel operations on the narrow and standard gauge rail system of the D&RGW.

The RGM&HS Facebook group was started by the Society and is open to anyone for all topics D&RGW, including current operations over former Rio Grande territory. This Facebook group has over 2,600 members and is quite active daily. We also maintain two groups on Groups.io focused on the Rio Grande.

Our company store on the website, you will find more D&RGW products produced or sponsored by the society.  For example, our collection of D&RGW engineering maps, drawn mostly from the collections of RGM&HS members, and we have available 62 reproduction maps representing 34 individual locations, that covers the location’s station grounds which approximately encompass the yard limits. Details include tracks, structures, storage and service facilities, steam, water, and oil pipes, etc., present at the time the original map was prepared.  Most are large scale, 1 inch=100 feet, originally issued by the D&RGW’s Office of the Chief Engineer.  The maps for sale can be printed at full or one-half size on architectural grade paper with a wide-bed laser printer. Physical sizes range from 2ft. x 1 ft. to 16 ft. x 3 ft.

Each year the society sells a Rio Grande calendar in  cooperation with  McMillan  Publications. The calendar each year features 13 large view photos of D&RGW standard gauge trains.

The Society is proud to offer Rio Grande Source Data CD Volumes. These CDs contains materials collected and contributed by many individuals who share the Society’s belief that such materials must be preserved and made available.

Please accept our invitation to join the Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society and help support our mission by selecting a membership type below: