RailAmerica, Inc. , based in Jacksonville, Florida , was a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada .
71-514: The Alamosa–Durango line or San Juan extension was a railroad line built by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad , following the border between the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico , in the Rocky Mountains . The line was originally built as a 3 ft ( 914 mm ) narrow-gauge line between Alamosa, Colorado , and Durango, Colorado . Portions of the route survive:
142-588: A tunnel under Cumbres Pass which would have alleviated the steep 4% grade over the pass. However, with the decline in ore traffic during the early 20th century, the railroad scrapped these plans and the Farmington branch was converted to narrow-gauge in 1923. After World War II, many of the surrounding Narrow gauge lines closed due to lack of Traffic. However the San Juan Extension experienced an unexpected "boom" in freight traffic due to growth in
213-532: A complete list of all the railroad's named trains. The Union Pacific acquired all D&RG owned assets at the time of the merger. The UP operates the former D&RGW main line as part of its Central Corridor . However, several branch lines and other assets have been sold, abandoned or re-purposed. These include several presently operating heritage railways that trace their origins to the Denver & Rio Grande Western. Active rail assets tracing their heritage to
284-417: A deal with Gulf and Ohio Railways to acquire three Alabama shortlines for $ 12.7 million. On July 23, 2012, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. announced that it intended to purchase RailAmerica in a deal valued at $ 1.39 billion. Approval of the purchase was granted by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board on December 19, 2012. While awaiting the decision, Genesee & Wyoming put RailAmerica control in
355-548: A defensive move, this may have been enough to discourage the A&;C from proceeding to construction. Originally hauling mainly agricultural products, the Farmington line was converted to narrow gauge in 1923, and later delivered pipe and other construction materials to the local oil and natural gas industry into the 1960s. Portions of the Alamosa–Durango line survive to this day. The Walsenburg–Alamosa–Antonito line survives as
426-563: A direct transcontinental link to the west. The D&RGW slipped into bankruptcy again in 1935. Emerging in 1947, it merged with the D&;SL on March 3, 1947, gaining control of the "Moffat Road" through the Moffat Tunnel and a branch line from Bond to Craig, Colorado . Finally free from financial problems, the D&RGW now possessed a direct route from Denver to Salt Lake City (the detour south through Pueblo and Tennessee Pass
497-777: A line was laid north through Delta , reaching Grand Junction in March, 1883. The line continued building west until reaching the D&RGW close to present day Green River which completed a narrow-gauge transcontinental link with the Rio Grande Western Railway to Salt Lake City, Utah . The line from Pueblo to Leadville was upgraded in 1887 to three rails to accommodate both narrow-gauge and standard-gauge operation. Narrow-gauge branch lines were constructed to Chama, New Mexico , Durango , Silverton , Crested Butte , Lake City , Ouray and Somerset , Colorado. The route over Tennessee Pass had steep grades, and it
568-540: A narrow-gauge line from Ogden, Utah via Soldier Summit, Utah to Grand Junction, Colorado . The railroad was reorganized as the Rio Grande Western Railway in 1889, as part of a finance plan to upgrade the line from narrow gauge to standard gauge, and built several branch lines in Utah to reach lucrative coal fields. It was the railway which Gustaf Nordenskiöld employed to haul boxcars of relics from
639-463: A patch applied over the locomotive's number and the number boards replaced. This method allows the locomotives to be numbered into the Union Pacific's roster but is cheaper than fully repainting the engine into UP Armour Yellow. In 2006, Union Pacific unveiled UP 1989 , an EMD SD70ACe painted in a stylized version of the D&RGW color scheme. This unit is one of several SD70ACe locomotives
710-515: A seasonal passenger service during summer months. In 1981, the route was sold to Charles E. Bradshaw Jr. who then operated the branch as the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad . The line is currently owned by American Heritage Railways . The Santa Fe branch, also known as the Chili line or Española branch, ran southwards for 125 miles from Antonito to Santa Fe, New Mexico . It was built by
781-596: A series of US , State , and County highways through the communities in Colorado and New Mexico that the railroad once served. During the early years, freight trains over the Alamosa–Durango line were handled by the D&RGW's fleet of 2-8-0 steam locomotives while passenger services were worked by the railroad's 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 locomotives. In later years, these were gradually superseded when more powerful 2-8-2 type engines were introduced. Because of
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#1732802330819852-564: A standard-gauge line, perhaps in anticipation of possible standard gauging of the entire line, south from Durango to Farmington, New Mexico . Part of the reason for this isolated change of gauge was that the Southern Pacific contemplated extending to access coal fields in the northern San Juan basin , had surveyors working there, and had incorporated a subsidiary, the Arizona & Colorado Railroad Company , for this purpose. As
923-598: A strong example of mountain railroading, with a motto of Through the Rockies, not around them and later Main line through the Rockies , both referring to the Rocky Mountains . The D&RGW operated the highest mainline rail line in the United States , over the 10,240 feet (3,120 m) Tennessee Pass in Colorado, and the famed routes through the Moffat Tunnel and the Royal Gorge . At its height, in 1889,
994-525: The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad . Meanwhile, the rest of the route from Chama to Durango, including the Farmington branch, was abandoned and the dual-gauge Alamosa–Antonito section was converted to a traditional 2-rail standard-gauge line, becoming the last 3-rail portion of the D&RGW system to be eliminated. Portions of the Alamosa–Durango line survive to this day. The now standard-gauged section from Alamosa to Antonito remained under ownership by
1065-402: The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad , was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a 3 ft ( 914 mm ) narrow-gauge line running south from Denver , Colorado , in 1870. It served mainly as a transcontinental bridge line between Denver and Salt Lake City , Utah . The Rio Grande was also a major origin of coal and mineral traffic. The Rio Grande was
1136-690: The Mesa Verde , Colorado, cliff dwellings, in 1891, en route to the National Museum of Finland . In 1901, the Denver & Rio Grande merged with the Rio Grande Western, consolidating in 1908. However, the railroad was weakened by speculators, who had used the Rio Grande's equity to finance Western Pacific Railroad construction. The United States Railroad Administration (USRA) took over the D&RG during World War I . In 1918,
1207-554: The Rio Grande . Closely assisted by his friend and new business partner Dr. William Bell , Palmer's new "Baby Road" laid the first rails out of Denver on July 28, 1871, and reached the location of the new town of Colorado Springs (then the Fountain Colony) by October 21. Narrow gauge was chosen in part because construction and equipment costs would be relatively more affordable when weighed against that of
1278-500: The Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP). The D&RGW used Southern Pacific's name with SP due to its name recognition among shippers. In time, the D&RGW's fast freight philosophy gave way to SP's long-established practice of running long, slow trains. A contributing factor was the rising cost of diesel fuel , a trend that set in after the 1973 oil crisis , which gradually undermined
1349-582: The now standard-gauged segment from Alamosa to Antonito, Colorado , and a narrow-gauge portion from Antonito to Chama, New Mexico . Following the Railroad Wars between the Denver and Rio Grande and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe), the D&RG signed an agreement with the Santa Fe, where the Santa Fe agreed not to compete with the D&RG's plans to build an extension into
1420-423: The oil industry around Farmington. This increase provided the necessary revenue to keep the line operating into the 1960s. By the mid-1960s, traffic had once again dwindled and in 1968, the D&RGW sought to abandon the entire route. The D&RGW never introduced mainline diesel traction on their narrow-gauge lines, as narrow-gauge locomotives would have to be custom-built at significant additional cost. Thus,
1491-632: The standard-gauge Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad , with passenger excursion trains service provided by the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad . Two narrow-gauge segments survive as steam railroads , the Antonito–Chama line as the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad and Durango–Silverton as the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad . Rio Grande Southern Railroad connected to San Juan Extension in Durango and went through
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#17328023308191562-403: The 1950s and 1960s. At the end of 1970, it operated 1,903 miles (3,063 km) of road on 3,227 miles (5,193 km) of track; that year it carried 7,733 ton-miles of revenue freight and 21 million passenger-miles. Two of the most scenic routes survived in operation by the D&RGW until they were sold to tourist railroad operators. The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad assumed operation of
1633-414: The 4% grade on the west side of Cumbres Pass, most eastbound freight trains performed what was known as the "Cumbres turn". After arriving at Chama, a train would be broken up and hauled in sections up to Cumbres where it was then reassembled before continuing its journey. On other portions of the route, freights were operated either by double heading or with a helper engine . The Alamosa–Durango line
1704-483: The 47 mile Farmington branch was unusual in that it was built as a standard gauge line, which resulted in Durango having dual gauge facilities. Much of the reason for this isolated change of gauge was that the Southern Pacific was contemplating extending to access coal fields in the northern San Juan basin , had surveyors working there, and had incorporated a subsidiary, the Arizona & Colorado Railroad Company , for this purpose. The D&RGW choice of standard gauge
1775-493: The Alamosa–Durango line eventually became of the last locations in the United States where steam locomotives were still in regular use. This brought recognition that all, if not some portion, of the line should be preserved as a museum or heritage railway . In 1970, a 64-mile segment between Antonito and Chama was purchased by the states of Colorado and New Mexico , and subsequently began operating excursion trains as
1846-476: The Colorado Midland to build a line from Glenwood Springs connecting with D&RG at Grand Junction. Originally considered a secondary branch route to Grand Junction, the entire route from Leadville to Grand Junction was upgraded to standard gauge in 1890, and the original narrow-gauge route via Marshall Pass became a secondary route. The first (1881-1889) Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway built
1917-454: The D&RG fell into receivership after the bankruptcy of Western Pacific. The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW or DRGW) was incorporated in 1920, and formally emerged as the new re-organization of the old Denver & Rio Grande Railroad on July 31, 1921. In 1931, the D&RGW acquired the Denver and Salt Lake Western Railroad, a paper railroad subsidiary of the Denver and Salt Lake Railroad (D&SL) which had acquired
1988-511: The D&RG in August, 1883, while retaining that position with the Western. Frederick Lovejoy would soon fill Palmer's vacated seat on the D&RG, the first in a succession of post Palmer presidents that would attempt to direct the railroad through future struggles and successes. Following bitter conflict with the Rio Grande Western during lease disagreements and continued financial struggles,
2059-469: The D&RG went into receivership in July, 1884, with court-appointed receiver William S. Jackson in control. Eventual foreclosure and sale of the original Denver & Rio Grande Railway resulted within two years, and the new Denver & Rio Grande Railroad took formal control of the property and holdings on July 14, 1886, with Jackson appointed as president. General Palmer would continue as president of
2130-511: The D&RGW and its successor railroads until the line was sold to RailAmerica in 2003. Today, the line is part of the San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad , a class III railroad which also operates a seasonal excursion service. The narrow-gauge portion between Antontio and Chama continues to operate as the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad with two trains (one in each direction) traversing
2201-497: The D&RGW during the 1880s as part of a planned rail link with El Paso, Texas . However, construction didn't go beyond Española due to a dispute with the nearby Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway . In 1887, the last 35 miles from Española to Santa Fe was opened by the Texas, Santa Fe & Northern Railroad, a subsidiary of the D&RGW. The entire route was closed in 1941 and subsequently abandoned. When completed in 1905,
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2272-528: The D&RGW ended its narrow gauge freight operations from Alamosa to Durango. This branch was constructed in 1900 by the Pagosa Lumber Company, as the Rio Grande, Pagosa and Northern from Pagosa Junction (Gato) to Pagosa Springs , and was conveyed to the D&RGW in 1908. At 30.7 miles, this was the shortest of the D&RGW's own major branch lines on the San Juan extension. It was also
2343-622: The D&RGW had the largest narrow-gauge railroad network in North America with 1,861 miles (2,995 km) of track interconnecting the states of Colorado, New Mexico , and Utah. Known for its independence, the D&RGW operated the Rio Grande Zephyr until its discontinuation in 1983. This was the last private intercity passenger train in the United States until Brightline began service in Florida in 2018. In 1988,
2414-664: The D&RGW refused to join the national Amtrak system, and continued to operate its share of the Zephyr equipment as the Rio Grande Zephyr between Denver and Salt Lake City. By 1983, however, citing continued losses in revenue, the D&RGW decided to get out of the passenger business altogether and join Amtrak. With this move, Amtrak rerouted the San Francisco Zephyr to the Moffat Road line and rebranded it as
2485-632: The D&RGW that are not part of the Union Pacific network today include: The largest collection of surviving California Zephyr equipment can be found at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, California , although this museum focuses on the Western Pacific Railroad , rather than the Rio Grande. Museums that focus on the D&RGW include: Museums using former D&RGW depots as buildings include: RailAmerica In 2007, RailAmerica
2556-406: The D&RGW's fuel-consuming "fast freight" philosophy. By the early 1990s, the combined Rio Grande/Southern Pacific system had lost much of the competitive advantage that made it attractive to transcontinental shippers, and became largely dependent on hauling the high-quality coal produced in the mine fields of Colorado and Utah. D&RGW locomotives retained their reporting marks and colors after
2627-671: The Rio Grande's parent corporation, Rio Grande Industries , purchased Southern Pacific Transportation Company , and as the result of a merger, the larger Southern Pacific Railroad name was chosen for identity. The Rio Grande operated as a separate division of the Southern Pacific until 1992. Today, most former D&RGW main lines are owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad while several branch lines are now operated as heritage railways by various companies. The Denver & Rio Grande Railway (D&RG)
2698-526: The San Juan Valley. The 200 miles (320 km) rail line was built in the early 1880s to access the various mineral resources in south-western Colorado . In 1881, the line reached Durango and a short time later, a branch was built up the Animas river valley to the mining town of Silverton . In addition to the ore traffic, lumber and various agricultural commodities were also hauled along
2769-450: The UP has painted in stylized colors to help preserve the image of the railroads it has merged; the others are Missouri Pacific Railroad , Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad , Chicago and North Western Railway , Southern Pacific Railroad , and Western Pacific Railroad . The following people served as presidents (or the equivalent) of the D&RGW and its predecessors. By the beginning of 1948
2840-558: The Union Pacific's faster, less mountainous route and 39 3/4-hour schedules, the California Zephyr offered a more leisurely journey – a "rail cruise" – with ample vistas of the Rockies. Although the California Zephyr ran at full capacity and turned a modest profit from its 1949 inception through the late 1950s, by the mid-1960s the train was profitable only during the late spring, summer, and fall. In 1970, Western Pacific, claiming multimillion-dollar losses, dropped out. However,
2911-714: The Union Pacific, was retired by UP in December, 2008. As previously promised by UP, the D&RGW 5371 was donated to the Utah State Railroad Museum at Ogden's Union Station on August 17, 2009, and will reside in the Eccles Rail Center at the south end of the building. The museum is located at 25th Street and Wall Ave in Ogden, Utah. Many other Rio Grande locomotives still run in service with Union Pacific but have been "patch-renumbered," with
Alamosa–Durango line - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-479: The Utah line until retirement (due to company re-organization) in 1901. Throughout the railroad's history its primary heavy repair shops were located south of Denver , Colorado in Burnham. They were built in 1871 and equipped to service both narrow gauge and standard gauge rolling stock. In 1922 the site received $ 3 million in upgrades, expanding the capacity to repair locomotives and cars. The last steam locomotive
3053-455: The company owned 318 steam locomotives, 62 diesel locomotives , 179 passenger cars and 14,662 freight cars . In 1962, there were 22 steam locomotives, 257 diesel locomotives, 96 passenger cars and 12,386 freight cars. This is a partial list of D&RGW passenger trains. Westbound trains had odd numbers, while eastbound trains had even numbers. Many of the trains were named and renamed as well as being re-numbered. There are over 180 names on
3124-425: The consolidation with the Southern Pacific and would do so until the Union Pacific merger. The one noticeable change was to Southern Pacific's "Bloody Nose" paint scheme. The serif font on the sides of the locomotives was replaced by the Rio Grande's "speed lettering", which was utilized on all SP locomotives built or repainted after the merger. On September 11, 1996, Anschutz sold the combined D&RGW/SP system with
3195-469: The current incarnation of the California Zephyr . Even as the D&RGW exploited the best new standard-gauge technology to compete with other transcontinental carriers, the railroad continued to operate the surviving steam-powered narrow-gauge lines, including the famed narrow-gauge line between Durango and Silverton, Colorado . Most of the remaining narrow-gauge trackage was abandoned in
3266-522: The defenders to leave. In March, 1880, a Boston Court granted the AT&;SF the rights to Raton Pass, while the D&RG paid an exorbitant $ 1.4 million for the trackage extending through the Arkansas River 's Royal Gorge . The D&RG's possession of this route allowed quick access to the booming mining district of Leadville, Colorado . While this "Treaty of Boston" did not exactly favor
3337-672: The hands of a trust. They assumed control on December 28, 2012, and the company was in the process of integration to G&W. RailAmerica controlled the following railroads. It acquired some through purchase of other holding companies: RailLink Canada in July 1999, RailTex in February 2000, ParkSierra and StatesRail in January 2002, and the rail properties of Alcoa in September 2005. In addition to those listed below, RailAmerica's prior owner, Fortress Investment Group , purchased
3408-400: The line between Antonito, Colorado , and Chama, New Mexico , in 1970. The last D&RGW narrow-gauge line, from Durango to Silverton, was sold in 1981 to the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad , exactly one hundred years after the line went into operation. In 1988, Rio Grande Industries , the company that controlled the D&RGW under the direction of Philip Anschutz , purchased
3479-479: The longest narrow-gauge tangent tracks in U.S. railroading (52.82 miles or 85 kilometers) also linked Alamosa with Salida to the north. From Antonito a line was built over 10,015 feet (3,053 m) Cumbres Pass , along the Colorado - New Mexico border, reaching Durango, Colorado , in August, 1881 and continuing north to the rich mining areas around Silverton in July, 1882. A line was also constructed in 1902 as
3550-413: The nation's most productive coal mining regions, retired coal-fueled steam locomotives as quickly as new, replacement diesels could be purchased. By 1956, the D&RGW's standard-gauge steam locomotives had been retired and scrapped. The reason for this was that unlike steam locomotives, diesel locomotives could easily be combined, using the diesels' multiple unit capabilities, to equip each train with
3621-590: The optimum horsepower which was needed to meet the D&RGW's aggressive schedule. The D&RGW's sense of its unique geographical challenge found expression in the form of the California Zephyr , a passenger train which was jointly operated with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) from Chicago to Denver, the D&RGW from Denver to Salt Lake City, and the Western Pacific Railroad from Salt Lake City to Oakland , California (with ferry and bus connections to San Francisco ). Unable to compete with
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#17328023308193692-598: The parent company Southern Pacific Rail Corporation to the Union Pacific Corporation , partly in response to the earlier merger of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe which formed the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway . As the Union Pacific absorbed the D&RGW into its system, signs of the fabled mountain railroad's existence are slowly fading away. D&RGW 5371, the only original D&RGW locomotive in full Rio Grande paint on
3763-603: The prevailing standard gauge . Palmer's first hand impressions of the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales buoyed his interest in the narrow-gauge concept which would prove to be advantageous while conquering the mountainous regions of the Southwest. Eventually the route of the D&RG would be amended (including a plan to continue south from Pueblo over Raton Pass) and added to as new opportunities and competition challenged
3834-457: The purist of original D&RG intentions, the conquering of new mining settlements to the west and the future opportunity to expand into Utah was realized from this settlement. By late 1880, William Bell had begun to organize railway construction in Utah that would become the Palmer controlled Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway in mid-1881. The intention of the D&RGW (aka the "Western")
3905-553: The railroad's expanding goals. Feverish, competitive construction plans provoked the 1877–1880 war over right of way with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway . Both rivals hired gunslingers and bought politicians while courts intervened to bring settlement to the disagreements. One anecdote of the conflict recounts June, 1879, when the Santa Fe defended its roundhouse in Pueblo with Dodge City toughs led by Bat Masterson ; on that occasion, D&RG treasurer R. F. Weitbrec paid
3976-594: The railroad's overhead signal pole lines. The D&RG also pushed west from Walsenburg, Colorado , over La Veta Pass (now "Old La Veta Pass") by 1877. At the time the 'Uptop' depot on Veta Pass, rising over 9,500 feet (2,900 m) in elevation, boasted the highest elevation for a narrow-gauge railroad. The railroad reached Alamosa by 1878. From Alamosa, a line was pushed south through Antonito eventually reaching Santa Fe, New Mexico (the Chili Line ), and west as far as Creede, Colorado . A line containing one of
4047-557: The rights to build a 40-mile (64 km) connection between the two railroads. After years of negotiation, the D&RGW gained trackage rights on the D&SL from Denver to the new cutoff. In 1932, the D&RGW began construction of the Dotsero Cutoff east of Glenwood Springs to near Bond on the Colorado River , at a location called Orestod (Dotsero spelled backward). Construction was completed in 1934, giving Denver
4118-440: The route each day during summer months. At the ghost town of Pagosa Junction , also known as Gato, a small portion of narrow-gauge track along with a steel truss bridge are still in place. Since the mid-2010s, the area along the now abandoned narrow-gauge portion between Chama and Durango has been in the process of being promoted as a scenic byway known as Tracks Across Borders. The byway, approved on April 16, 2015, follows
4189-443: The route. When the D&RGW began the process of converting most of their mainlines to standard gauge in the early 1900s, the railroad had also planned to convert the San Juan extension. As a result, the section from Alamosa to Antonito was converted to dual gauge in 1901 with the addition of a standard gauge only branch from Durango south to Farmington, New Mexico a few years later. The D&RGW had also considered building
4260-421: The shortest-lived; closure took place in 1936. Several short-lived railroads were built by logging companies, with varying degrees of involvement with the D&RG, to harvest timber on both sides of the main line. Typically, they would set up a sawmill at their junctions with D&RG, harvest stands of Ponderosa pine nearby and then extend spurs of six miles or so per year, as marketable timber in each area
4331-603: The western edge of San Juan Mountains to Ridgway, Colorado on Montrose–Ouray branch. The D&RG built west from Leadville over 10,240 feet (3,120 m) Tennessee Pass in an attempt to reach the mining areas around Aspen, Colorado , before its rival railroad in the area, the Colorado Midland , could build a line reaching there. The D&RG built a line through Glenwood Canyon to Glenwood Springs , reaching Aspen in October, 1887. The D&RG then joined with
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#17328023308194402-630: Was acquired by Fortress Investment Group . Before that, it traded on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol RRA . It was relisted in October 2009 with the ticker symbol RA . On June 30, 2010, the company announced that it had acquired Atlas Railroad Construction , a construction and maintenance company operating in the Northeast and Midwest United States, for US$ 24 million. In April 2011, RailAmerica made its first shortline purchase in over five years by initiating
4473-420: Was exhausted. Portable steam-powered sawmills may have been set up along the branches, as well. In Rio Arriba County, New Mexico , by 1919 there were 175 miles of narrow-gauge logging branches and spurs. Logging lines included: Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad ( reporting mark DRGW ), often shortened to Rio Grande , D&RG or D&RGW, formerly
4544-469: Was host to several branch lines which diverted from various points along the route to connect nearby towns and industries. Among these were: Opened in 1882, the 45-mile route from Durango to Silverton was built by the D&RGW to serve the mining industries in the San Juans . Almost abandoned in the 1960s, the branch was retained by the D&RGW to serve the tourist industry and the railroad operated
4615-441: Was in part a defensive move, and may have been enough to discourage the A&C from proceeding to construction. The branch was converted to 3 ft gauge in 1923 after plans to standard gauge the Alamosa–Durango line fell through. After World War II, a “boom” in the oil industry around Farmington brought substantial freight traffic, which contributed to the lines viability until the early 1960’s. This branch lasted until 1968 when
4686-551: Was incorporated on October 27, 1870, by General William Jackson Palmer (1836–1909), and a board of four directors. It was originally announced that the new 3 ft ( 914 mm ) railroad would proceed south from Denver and travel an estimated 875 miles (1,408 km) south to El Paso via Pueblo, westward along the Arkansas River, and continue southward through the San Luis Valley of Colorado toward
4757-493: Was no longer required for direct service), but a problem still remained: for transcontinental service, the Union Pacific 's more northerly line was far less mountainous (and, as a result, several hours faster). The D&RGW's solution was its "fast freight" philosophy, which employed multiple diesel locomotives pulling short, frequent trains. This philosophy helps to explain why the D&RGW, despite its proximity to one of
4828-423: Was not uncommon to see trains running with midtrain and rear-end helpers. In 1997, a year after the D&RGW/SP merger with Union Pacific, the UP closed the line. Although it has been out of service for more than two decades, the rails are still in usable condition, though many of the signals have been ravaged by time and vandals. In 2011, under a federal Beautification Grant, a private contractor removed and scrapped
4899-778: Was pushed to Leadville later that same year. From Salida, the D&RG pushed west over the Continental Divide at the 10,845 feet (3,306 m) Marshall Pass and reached Gunnison on August 6, 1881. From Gunnison the line entered the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River passing the famous Curecanti Needle seen in their famous Scenic Line of the World Herald. The tracks left the increasingly-difficult canyon at Cimmaron and passed over Cerro Summit , reaching Montrose on September 8, 1882. From Montrose,
4970-518: Was serviced in 1956, at which time the locomotive department was converted to service diesel engines. The other major back shop site was in Salt Lake City , Utah, built in 1883. The shops in Alamosa , Colorado primarily serviced narrow gauge rolling stock. The D&RG built west from Pueblo reaching Cañon City in 1874. The line through the Royal Gorge reached Salida on May 20, 1880, and
5041-514: Was to work eastward from Provo to an eventual link with westward bound D&RG in Colorado. This physical connection was realized near the Green River on March 30, 1883, and by May of that year the D&RG formally leased its Utah subsidiary as previously planned. By mid-1883, financial difficulties due to aggressive growth and expenditures led to a shake up among the D&RG board of directors, and General Palmer resigned as president of
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