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The late Richard Schaffer, who also guided the European Narrow Gauge Circle Tour that I took in 1995, provided excellent commentary on the railways, routes, sites, and sights along the 1994 tour. There was little of this on the 2004 tour – our guide got us there on time to board the trains, but that was it. The only Colorado tourist train I missed was the Cripple Creek
and Victor Railroad behind Pike’s Peak. It is a 2 foot gauge
steam line reminiscent of the Gilpin Gold Tram. It is a 4 mile,
45 minute round trip on former Midland Terminal (standard gauge)
right of way – not much of a ride but the engines are unique.
Chama was a major Division point for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad’s San Juan Extension, built in 1880. From here tracks were laid to Farmington, NM and to Durango, CO and from there to Silverton, CO. The last San Juan Express ran in 1951 and the last freight in 1968. Oil field traffic to Farmington had kept the line alive long after the original mining activity had died out. The C&TS took over the Chama to Antonito portion of the line over Cumbres Pass (10,015 feet) in 1969 and the first excursion train ran in 1970. The railway is owned jointly by the States of Colorado and New Mexico and operated by an independent third party. The C&TS crosses the Colorado – New Mexico border 11 times.
Volunteers from the Friends of the C&TS provide maintenance and fund raising. C&TS has rebuilt a number of D&RGW K-37’s for use on the line and has built its own excursion passenger cars on old standard gauge flat car frames. Lots of other MOW equipment is parked in the Chama Yard, including two rotary snow plows and the derrick car. Photos below are from 1994.
The final run into Antonito seems a little boring by comparison, but it gives a better impression of the typical train ride of the narrow gauge era between 1880 and 1950. It wasn’t romantic, comfortable, or scenic in those days – just a necessity. On the drive from Antonito to Durango via Pagosa Springs and Wolf Creek Pass, we sidetracked back to Chama for dinner at Viva Vera’s Mexican Kitchen – it was worth the extra miles. Photos below are mostly from 1994, a few from 2004.
The San Juan Express ran from Alamosa to Durango via Antonito and Chama. It ran for 70 years making its last run in 1951. When Durango to Chama was abandoned in 1968, the Silverton branch was still a popular tourist attraction and the D&RGW ran the isolated line until 1981. It had been looking for a buyer of the line for some time and in 1981, Charles Bradshaw bought the road and equipment. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has refurbished rolling stock and locomotives and runs 3 to 5 trains a day in summer season. A tragic fire took the Durango roundhouse and damaged some locomotives in 1989, but this was all rebuilt, giving D&SNG one of the best steam locomotive shops in North America. Locomotives are rebuilt D&RGW K-28 and K-36 2–8–2 steamers. The “Rio Grande Gold” passenger cars look like the original wood coaches from the turn of the 20 th century, except for the colour which was deep red before 1923 and Pullman Green after 1923. The refurbished cars are actually metal clad with scribed siding to look like the original tongue-and-groove wood siding. Open excursion cars are built from standard gauge boxcars with the roof removed and sides cut down. There are numerous original boxcars, gondolas, and MOW rolling stock in various states of disrepair parked along the line. The roundhouse has an interesting museum and major equipment under repair and rebuild. The trip to Silverton and return takes 8 hours, counting 2 hours for lunch and shopping at Silverton. Following Rio de las Animas Perdidas ( River of Lost Souls), the track rises slowly until it is more than 600 feet above the river – the famous “High Line” that hugs the edge of the mountains. Photos from the train only hint at the feeling of great depth just feet from the train windows. Silverton has many historic buildings, but nearly all are souvenir shops or fast food outlets – not the authentic historic townsite that one might have hoped for.
Durango has better shopping and a more attractive downtown. Special entertainment, for example, the Bar D Ranch chuckwagon supper and cowboy music, is easy to find. Our 2004 trip coincided with RailFest, so we saw the restored Eureka and Pallisades 4–4–0 at the Durango Depot. Goose #5 from Delores was also around but we didn’t see it. Photos below are mostly from 1994, a few from 2004.
Here are photos that you can't get while riding the train, taken from D&S official website.
There are many artifacts along the route, as well as RGS Motor #5 (one of 7 Galloping Geese) at Dolores and Goose #4 at Telluride. A working replica of Goose #1 resides at the Ridgway Museum. Geese #2, 6, and 7 live at the Colorado Railroad Museum along with 4–6–0 #20 and a number of pieces of rolling stock. Goose #3 is at Knott’s Berry Farm in California. The Galloping Geese added an extra twenty years to the life of the railroad, but in 1952, the Rio Grande Southern abandoned its railroad forever.
The RGS route was steep with 4% grades, lots of trestles, and tight curves. The famous Lizard Head Pass was a monster in winter and a tourist attraction in the summer. You can re-live the RGS by car, ducking into many sideroads to see the relics of its past. Take some time to tour Mesa Verde and the Anasazi Heritage Museum just a mile or two from Dolores. You won’t believe the sophisticated architecture that the Anasazi possessed more than 1000 years ago. A little known fact about the RGS is that, as early as 1898, it hauled uranium ore, called carnotite, from Placerville to Ridgway for forwarding to eastern US and Europe. The ore originated from mines west of Placerville and was hauled there by oxen. Soon after, the ore was being refined locally for uranium and vanadium to reduce the tonnage to be shipped. Madame Marie Curie purchased Placerville ore to obtain radium samples for her experiments. It was her daughter, Dr. Irene Joliet-Curie, who first developed the concept of atomic fission, leading ultimately to the Manhattan Project and Hiroshima. The real value of this ore was the radium at $180,000 per gram compared to $80 per ton for the concentrated ore. Radium was widely used to create luminous dials on aircraft and ships in World War I and on watches for civilians thereafter. The uranium ore traffic had several boom and bust cycles that severely affected the financial state of the RGS. Finally, the US Government started paving highways to strategic mines in 1945, sealing the doom of the RGS. Ore continued to be trucked to Durango into the 1960’s and uranium mining in western Colorado is still big business today. It is ironic that turn-of-the-century narrow gauge steam engines heralded the atomic age, only to be smitten by the internal combustion engine and pavement. Photos below are from 1994 unless otherwise noted.
A half mile up the canyon, the Service has mounted D&RGW #278, 2 freight cars, and caboose #0577 on the bridge. It is isolated from the land so vandals can’t do any damage. These have been maintained very well and look as they did in 1940. After Cimarron, take the sideroad to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park visitor center. A short walk to the view point will illustrate why it is called Black Canyon. At Gunnison, visit the Gunnison Pioneer Museum on the highway. Here D&RGW #268 in Bumblebee livery sits under a replica snow shed to protect it a bit from the weather. My 1994 photos show the engine in black and silver before the fake smokestack was removed. Various freight and MOW cars, including flanges OF and OD, with long caboose #0589 are tagged to #268. The historic buildings are beautifully maintained and very photogenic. The large machine shop holds a great collection of well restored autos and trucks, that weren’t present on my first trip in 1994. These 3 stops will kill most of the day and still leave time to reach the next destination. Photos are from 1994 unless otherwise noted.
This tourist line is unique in Colorado in that it is still connected to mainline track and could become a common carrier if the mines re-open. The trip is over in less than 3 hours so there is time to get to Georgetown for an afternoon run. However, Leadville is worth an overnight stay, just to walk and photograph the historic streets.
Photos are from 2004.
The
major structure is the Devil’s Gate Viaduct,
300 feet long, 95 feet high, on a continuous sharp curve, and
a 2% grade. Numerous smaller trestles allowed the track to
make three and a half complete circles while ascending the
grade. The first passenger train ran in 1884 and the last in
1939. The viaduct was scrapped during World War II.
The
city fathers didn’t want those smoky smelly
trains in town so they prevented the train from reaching its
logical destination, the Georgetown Depot. There is a locomotive
on display at the depot (C&S #44) but Silver Plume has
more and better stuff, so buy your souvenirs at Silver Plume.
The Georgetown Loop has a number of static cars on display at the Silver Plume Depot, including D&RGW caboose #0486 and one marked Georgetown Loop #0400. C&S caboose #1006 is on display in town and C&S 4–6–0 #60 as well. The town itself is very attractive so plan to spend some time here. Prior to 2005, the railway had 3 Shays, numbers 8, 12, and 14 which hauled most of the trains. These are ex West Side Lumber Company locos. There were two rod locos, numbers 40 and 44 built by Baldwin, also not original C&S equipment. Two 54 ton GM diesels from US Gypsum arrived in 1994. My photos show the white and blue livery of 1994 as well as the 2004 black and orange paint job. The diesels were used only if a steamer died or needed help to get home. A major dispute between the CHS and the railway operator erupted in 2004 resulting in the operator losing the contract to run the railway. However, the CHS lost their access to the locomotives described above – definitely a lose- lose scenario. CHS acquired one steamer from Coeur D’Alene, ID and it pulled the first 2005 train. Designated #12, it looks like a 2–6–0 Mogul but the CHS website photo is pretty muddy and it’s hard to tell. They will need more motive power soon, so if anyone can update this info please let me know. The Loop now goes by the name “Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park”. The following are my 1994 photos.
The following are my 2004 photos.
The
mountain was discovered by Zebulon Pike in 1806 during his
exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. Gold was found nearby
some years later that started the main invasion of the Colorado
area by miners, then the railways.
There is abundant wildlife and you can see 4 states from the peak on a clear day. There is a static display at the Manitou Springs depot and another downtown. A third loco is at the Colorado Railway Museum. Don’t try the railway on the weekend when the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb is on – it’s a zoo unless you are involved in the race. It’s probably a zoo then too. A total of 8 tiny 0–4–0 steamers with inclined boilers were built by Baldwin during the 1890’s. A homebuilt gasoline powered railcar appeared in 1938. Five General Electric diesel-electric rack locomotives were delivered in 1940 and ran till 1965 with streamlined passenger cars. These were replaced by Swiss Locomotive Works diesel electric streamliners starting in 1964 and were augmented by larger articulated units in 1976, 1984, and 1989. The line also runs a rack driven 500hp diesel snow blower and a small diesel for shunting. The Garden of the Gods is just a few miles away. It has only minor railway significance, but it has such spectacular rock formations that you must see it. Get out and walk around – it is unimaginably strange and beautiful. The park was originally owned by Charles Perkins, President of the CB&Q. He died in 1907 and in 1909 his family donated the land to the City of Colorado Springs. The stipulation was that it be free to all and that no booze be allowed. It’s still free and still teetotal.
The Cog Locomotives over time
The Cog is the second steepest rack railway in the world (after Mt Pilatus in Switzerland) with an average grade of over 25% and a maximum grade of 37.4%. The railway is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) long. The steam train ascends the mountain at 2.8 mph (4.5 km/h) and descends at 4.6 mph (7.4 km/hr). Our train was pushed by steamer #9 "Waumbek" built in 1908 by Manchester Locomotive Works.
On a clear day you can see the mountains and valleys of New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, north into Canada, and east to the Atlantic Ocean. There are, however, precious few clear days; fog and wind are more common. Mt Washington boasts the highest recorded wind speed measured on earth (231 mph) and the record low tempersture (-50 F) in the lower 48 states. Snowfall averages 311 inches (7.9 meters). Cairns and ropes mark the climbing and hiking trails. Photos on this page by Sonja.
Our coach, ready for the "All Aboard"
Bridgework on Jacob's Ladder
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Copyright © 2022 E. R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng. email |
Colorado
Narrow Gauge Circle - 1994 akd 2004
Originally
part of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad’s
narrow gauge mainline from Pueblo westward to Salida, Leadville,
and ultimately Salt Lake City, the Royal Gorge Route was the
logo for D&RG advertising for years. It was converted to
standard gauge in 1893 and is famous for its hanging bridge
that allowed the track to follow the Arkansas River through
the narrow 30 foot wide canyon. 
The
last D&RGW passenger train through the Gorge
was run in 1967. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad opened for
passenger traffic in 1999. It departs from Ca
The
train has a vintage diesel at both ends and, believe it or
not, is controlled by Santa Fe RR CTC in Omaha. The ride
is out and back in about 2 hours. You have to use your imagination
a bit to visualize what this trip must have been like in the
early days of the narrow gauge.
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Then
on to Chama, NM to board the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
for the all day trip to Antonito, CO. You need to be in the
Chama Yard as early as possible to see all the action before
departure. You can ride the train from Antonito to Chama
if you wish, but it is less interesting as there is no double-heading
on the grades. Counting the lunch stop at Osier, the train
averages only 8 mph for the 64 mile journey. Watch for cattle
on or near the tracks and other wildlife.
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The
San Juan Extension turned north from Chama for 107 miles
and found Animas City waiting for it in 1881. After a squabble
with city fathers, the railway established a new townsite,
named it Durango, and nearly everyone left Animas City
(now a suburb of Durango). The D&RG pushed the line
45 miles further north to Silverton by 1882. 
From
here, three independent feeder railways were built to bring
ore to interchange with the D&RG: the Silverton
Railroad, Silverton Northern Railroad, and Silverton, Gladstone
and Northern Railroad. The Rio Grande Southern Railroad also
connected at Durango, bringing traffic from west and north
of D&RG territory. Otto Mears built these feeder lines,
but he didn’t own the RGS for long. 
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The
Rio Grande Southern Railroad was built in 1890 by Otto
Mears to connect mines at Telluride and Placerville with
the D&RG at Durango
and Ridgway. There are no operating tourist railways on the
RGS route and all the tracks have disappeared. 
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The
rush to get railways to Leadville in 1879 – 1880
pitted the Denver and Rio Grande against the Denver, South
Park and Pacific. The D&RG won the race, but a joint trackage
agreement allowed DSP&P to enter Leadville until they finished
their own track in 1884. It took this long because of financial
problems and the Alpine Tunnel construction. 
The DSP&P route was Denver -- Como -- Boreas Pass -- Breckenridge --
Freemont Pass -- Leadville, crossing the Continental Divide twice. The
D&RG route to Leadville was more than 275 miles
from Denver; the DSP&P was only 150, but the steep terrain
meant that trains were only marginally faster in arriving at
the Cloud City. 
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One of the busiest and one of the most interesting
narrow gauge trips is the Georgetown Loop. Built as the Georgetown,
Breckenridge and Leadville in 1882, headed to Leadville, it
got a few miles past Silver Plume when the silver price crashed.
It never went any farther. The rise from Georgetown to Silver
Plume is nearly 600 feet in 2.1 miles, giving a 6% grade. This
was not feasible so the railway made several loops over the
valley to make the distance 4.5 miles and the grade only 2%. 
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For
more than 100 years, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Cog Railway
(the world's highest cog railroad, the highest Colorado
railroad AND highest train in the United States) has taken
passengers to the 14,110 foot summit of Pikes Peak. The
founder of the Manitou & Pike’s Peak Cog Railway
was a Mr. Zalmon Simmons, owner of the Simmons Mattress
Company. The first train to the summit made it in 1891
pushed by unique steam powered cog locomotives. It is not
narrow gauge, but it is a must-see on any tour of Colorado
railways. 
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I
know Mt. Washington is not in Coloeado. I have no other place to
put this story and it follows the Manitoo and Pikes Peak photo
essay, so it will be easy to compare the two cog railway lines.
