A Long Tradition
Happy Holidays from all of us at the Colorado Railroad Museum! This December issue of the Colorado Railroad Museum Rail Report continues a long-standing tradition of keeping members of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club informed and connected. Now that the Club has joined the Museum, we’re excited to carry that legacy forward, sharing news and updates with the broader Museum community—bringing the Rail Report to a wider audience that is passionate about Colorado railroading, preservation, and the stories that keep our shared history moving.
If you have received this email as a forward from someone else, please click here to continue receiving the Rail Report monthly. And if you know of someone who might be interested, please forward and share!
We’re delighted to continue a long tradition with a new look and feel. All aboard!
Paul Hammond Dave Schaaf
Executive Director Rail Report Editor
| |
Rail-Related Updates
- Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern submitted an application on December 19 for a merger of the two railroads. If the Surface Transportation Board authorizes this, it could create a 50,000-mile railroad that reaches 43 states from coast to coast.
| |
Rail Watch
Current highlights and regional happenings.
| |
Holiday season lighting at Denver Union Station. © 2025 Chip
| |
The first Winter Park Express 5-car train for the 2025-26 Winter Park ski season passed the signal bridge at Union Pacific’s Utah Junction north of Denver, CO, on Friday, December 19, 2025. More cars will be added in coming weeks. ©2025 Chip
| |
Four Hyundai Energy transformers were delivered by the Kyle RR on heavy-duty flat cars at Seibert, Colorado, on November 28. These units will be a part of the Singing Grass Wind project in Kit Carson County. ©2025 Chip
| |
D&RGW narrow-gauge steam locomotive No. 315 recently came to visit the Colorado Railroad Museum for a few months. This photo was taken just a couple of days after the 315 arrived in Golden in late November. Seen here in the roundhouse with crew members Scott Gibbs and Erin Swain, preparing to fire it up. © 2025 Dave Schaaf
| |
On the evening of December 2, engine No. 315 is in service pulling the THE POLAR EXPRESS™ just as snow began to fall. © 2025 Dave Schaaf
| |
This work train was in a residential area of Longmont, Colorado, on December 16th. BNSF Railway has been using it in recent weeks between Denver and Fort Collins. The Herzog MPM (multi-purpose machine) is used for various types of track maintenance. It has a control cab at both ends, and this end is the locomotive.
© 2025 Dave Schaaf
| |
Rocky Mountain Rail Preservation
Como Reborn Part 1
By John Bush
| |
Like the legendary Phoenix, the Denver South Park & Pacific, and later the Colorado & Southern Railroad, is rising from its very cold ashes and coming back to life.
The DSP&P railroad, a narrow gauge railroad, was organized in 1872 and began construction in 1873 from Denver into the mountains following the basic course of the South Platte River. Construction of the railroad reached Como, Colorado, in 1879, and eventually the track led over Boreas Pass on to Leadville. Another route went down the South Park Valley and over Trout Creek Pass, then down to cross the Arkansas River and up and through the Alpine Tunnel on to Gunnison. Como became an important junction, and a stone roundhouse to maintain steam locomotives was constructed in 1881 by immigrants from Como, Italy. Thus, the town of Como became a railroad community with a railroad yard, maintenance shops, and housing for railroad workers.
The South Park and its successors were plagued by enormous challenges which in the long run were their undoing. The line was well built with numerous retaining walls of hand-fitted cut stone laid up without mortar and a stone roundhouse that has survived 89 years since the last train ran. Unfortunately, the line was not well located. There were too many places where the line was on the north-facing side of the valley, too many long runs that required helpers, too many mountain passes crossed, it was too lightly built, and its locomotives were too small. It got to the important potential revenue districts (Leadville and Gunnison) after the competing railroads had already arrived and locked up the lion's share of the traffic. As a result, financial troubles always persisted for the DSP&PRR with high maintenance costs of the high mountain railroad right of way, battling winter avalanches, rock landslides and washouts. After a succession of financial reorganizations and acquisitions, and facing developing highway transportation, the last train left Como in 1937. The railroad closed and was abandoned, leaving the Como facilities behind. While these factors guaranteed financial failure they are the very conditions that ensured a place in the romantic history of Rocky Mountain railroading.
| |
Over the years these facilities became dilapidated, and some were repurposed. A local aggregate company moved into the abandoned depot and roundhouse, using it for offices and warehouse space. When they left, the roundhouse became a sawmill and later became a barn for cattle.
In 1983, the Como roundhouse, railroad depot & hotel complex were registered and listed nationally and with History Colorado as historic landmarks. In 1984, Bill Kazel purchased the roundhouse and saved it after the Park County authorities had condemned it, fearing it would be in danger of caving in with his intention of saving it for preservation and restoration. He oversaw restoring the doors, windows and supporting a roof section that was caving in and oversaw a replacement roof. He acquired the turntable in 1991 and had it set in the turntable pit. In 2001, he sold the roundhouse to Kathy and Chuck Brantigan from Denver, who had a background of preservation in the Lafayette neighborhood of Denver. Bill continued to be involved by conducting historic tours of the roundhouse during Boreas Pass Railroad Day, which is held in August in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and the Como community.
| |
Images supplied by the DSP&PHS and SPRS. Much of this information comes from the assistance of Tom Lawson. This article to be continued in the next issue.
| |
A bit of Rocky Mountain Railroad Club History
By Jim Ehernberger
| |
The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club was known for operating unique excursions, whether on obscure railroad lines, or with a variety of motive power.
On March 11, 1956, a Union Pacific excursion from Denver to Cheyenne via the Dent Branch using engine U.P. 9000 (3-cylinder 4-12-2) took place on a very cold day. Some 215 passengers participated. The trip cost $6 for adults and half fare for children. Upon arriving in Cheyenne, everyone had a chance to visit the roundhouse and shop area while the locomotive was being serviced. Union Pacific owned 88 of the 9000 class locomotives, and only this one was saved, and after our trip, it was placed on permanent display at Pomona, CA. When originally placed in operation in 1926, it was reported that these locomotives had the capability of pulling a mile-long train at 60 miles per hour! The third cylinder provided good power and provided a unique sound, especially at lower speeds
| |
UP 9000 at Cheyenne just prior to operating to Denver. A Conductor Pilot was in charge of the movement without cars. The set of drivers provided a rigid wheel base, and the class were designated as the “Union Pacific Type” since only the U.P. owned them. This image at Cheyenne on Friday, March 9, 1956, was under quite warm perfect conditions, but the weather changed rapidly afterwards.
JAMES L. EHERNBERGER PHOTO
| |
Our excursion train on Sunday, March 11, 1956, behind UP engine 9000 made a photo stop departing La Salle, CO., the beginning of the Dent Branch. At this time, the temperature was about ten degrees above zero. Additional stops were made prior to reaching Denver. Regardless of the temperature, everyone had a great time. This was a rare occasion where the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club's logo drumhead was affixed to the front of the train. JAMES L. EHERNBERGER PHOTO
| |
Content contributions this month from Chip Sherman,
John Bush, Jim Ehernberger, and Dave Schaaf.
Editorial assistance from Paul Hammond and Maddie Schaaf.
| |
| Thanks to our generous Sponsors & Partners
| |
|
|
|
|
