Today, we are highlighting the history of this recently restored Denver & Salt Lake Railroad (D&SL) phone booth. Built in the early 1900s, this hexagonal phone booth once stood along the D&SL’s “Moffat Route” near Granby. It provided a direct line to the dispatch center, allowing train crews to report breakdowns and track blockages quickly. This design was later replaced by square booths, making this the only known surviving hexagonal model from the D&SL.
The booth remained in service until the 1960s, even after the Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) took over the line. By the 1970s, it had been abandoned until a D&RGW employee and Museum volunteer rediscovered it lineside. George Lawrence and his crew transported it to the Museum in the late 1970s, saving it from being lost to the elements (watch them pick it up in the video below).
First restored by Museum volunteers in the early 2000s, the booth has been displayed at the Colorado Railroad Museum for nearly 25 years. Over time, the booth has aged and weathered, requiring a second restoration to preserve its integrity. The recent work returned it to its original silver color with hand-painted lettering, using a stencil traced from an original phone booth door by present-day volunteer Trevor Lombardi.
Rehabilitated to its former glory once again, this rare piece of railroad communication history is a reminder of the importance of preservation efforts – big and small – at the Colorado Railroad Museum.
