Royal Gorge

Greetings train buddies! Attached is my submission to the Garden Railway newsletter that you (hopefully) will find of interest....or please let me know if you would like to "unsubscribe".   Bill

RAILROAD POSTCARDS FROM THE PAST

Going Through the Royal Gorge, Colorado

The Royal Gorge is a stupendous cleft in the front range of the Rockies through which rushes the turbulent Arkansas River. This chasm is utilized by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad to the delight of all who pass this way. The walls of the canyon are perpendicular in places and rise to a height of nearly three thousand feet above the track.

The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is a destination tourist railroad located in Canon City, Colorado near the greater Colorado Springs area known for a wide variety of natural attractions including Manitou Springs, Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak as well as many century old roadside attractions. The RGRR travels through spectacular Royal Gorge on a two hour scenic and historic train ride along what is considered to be the most famed portion of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Silver and lead mining activity in the Leadville district of the upper Arkansas River Valley of Colorado in the 1870’s attracted the attention of both the Rio Grand and Santa Fe railroads who both pushed rails down the valley until reaching the Royal Gorge, a high plateau of hard igneous rock forming a nearly impassible steep walled gorge over 1000 feet deep and six miles long. A two year physical and legal struggle between the two railroads over rights and ownership of the narrow single track right-of-way ultimately resulted in a shared arrangement and passenger service through the gorge beginning in 1880 and continuing until 1967, and freight service until 1989. In 1996 the combined companies of Rio Grande and Southern Pacific merged into the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1997 the UP was persuaded to sell the12 miles of track through the Royal Gorge to The Royal Gorge Express, LLC in order to preserve the scenic and historic route. Passenger service on the new Royal Gorge Route Railroad began in may of 1999. A highlight of the route is the 1879 hanging bridge located in a area where the gorge narrows to 30 feet and the sheer rock walls plunge into the river. The bridge consists of a 175 foot long plate girder suspended on one side under A-frame girders that span the river and are anchored to the rock walls on each side. Strengthened over the years, the bridge remains in service to this day.