Person Record

Metadata

Name

Richardson, Robert W.

Othernames

Bob, RWR, RW Richardson

Born

05/21/1910

Birthplace

Rochester, PA

Deceased

02/23/2007

Deceased where

State College, PA

Places of residence

Ohio
Pennsylvania
Colorado

Nationality

American

Education

Attended high school in Akron, OH

Notes

Bob Richardson founded the Colorado Railroad Museum (also sometimes known as the Narrow Gauge Museum) in Alamosa, CO in 1941. There, he had a motel and several pieces of retired narrow gauge rolling stock that he showed to visitors. His collection eventually outrgrew the space in Alamosa, so in 1958 he partnered with Cornelius W. Hauck, who helped purchase the current property in Golden, where the Colorado Railroad Museum (CRRM) remains today. The CRRM officially opened to visitors in 1959. At that time, Bob had the Iron Horse Motel on the property, which was torn down around 1970 in favor of collecting more rolling stock and completing a loop of track on which to run trains.

Occupation

Director, Colorado Railroad Museum, 1941 to about 2005
Printer
Author
Motel Owner

Publications

1. Narrow Gauge News (Alamosa Museum's Newsletter), later renamed Iron Horse News (still produced quarterly by CRRM as of 2024)
2. Chasing Trains: The Lifetime Story of the Founder of the Colorado Railroad Museum; 1995
3. Robert W. Richardson's Rio Grande Southern: Chasing the Narrow Gauge, Volumes I-III; 2003, 2005, and 2011

Relationships

Business partner - Cornelius W. Hauck, co-founder of CRRM

Role

Historian

Spouse

None

Children