Alamosa–Durango Line
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The Alamosa–Durango line or San Juan extension was a railroad line built by the
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south from De ...
, following the border between the U.S. states of
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
and
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, in the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
. The line was originally built as a narrow-gauge line between
Alamosa, Colorado Alamosa is a home rule municipality and the county seat of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 9,806 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is the commercial center of the San Luis Valley in south-central Colora ...
, and
Durango, Colorado Durango is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States Census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis Coll ...
. Portions of the route survive to this day: the now standard-gauged segment from Alamosa to
Antonito, Colorado Antonito is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town, Statutory Town located in Conejos County, Colorado, Conejos County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 647 at the 2020 United States Census. History Antonito began ...
, and a narrow-gauge portion from Antonito to
Chama, New Mexico Chama is a village in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,022 at the 2010 census. The village is located in the Rocky Mountains about south of the Colorado-New Mexico border. Geography Chama is located at (36.8947 ...
.


History

Following the
Railroad Wars Railroad Wars were business rivalries between railroad companies, which occurred frequently in American history. Although they were usually little more than legal disputes inside a courtroom, they sometimes turned into armed conflicts. There h ...
between the Denver and Rio Grande and the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...
(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 the San Juan Valley. The rail line was built in the early 1880s to access the various mineral resources in south-western Colorado. In 1881, the line reached
Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...
and a short time later, a branch was built up the
Animas river Animas River (''On-e-mas''; es, Río de las Ánimas) is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River (Colorado River), San Juan River, part of the Colorado River, Colorado River System. The Animas-La Plata Water Pro ...
valley to the
mining town A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry. Historic mining communities Australia * Ballarat, Victoria * Bendigo, ...
of Silverton. In addition to the
ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 April 2 ...
traffic,
lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
and various
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were also hauled along the route.


The 20th century

When the D&RGW began the process of
converting Converting companies are companies that specialize in modifying or combining raw materials such as polyesters, adhesives, silicone, adhesive tapes, foams, plastics, felts, rubbers, liners and metals, as well as other materials, to create new produ ...
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 Antonito is a Statutory Town located in Conejos County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 647 at the 2020 United States Census. History Antonito began life as a sheep herding camp known as San Antonio Junction, referring to its ...
was converted to
dual gauge In railway engineering, "gauge" is the transverse distance between the inner surfaces of the heads of two rails, which for the vast majority of railway lines is the number of rails in place. However, it is sometimes necessary for track to c ...
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 a tunnel under
Cumbres Pass Cumbres Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, United States. The pass is traversed by State Highway 17 (Colorado), State Highway 17 and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. The highway has a moderate 5.8% ...
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 the
oil industry The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The larges ...
around Farmington. This increase provided the necessary revenue to keep the line operating into the 1960s.


Abandonment and preservation

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 A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheel ...
on their narrow-gauge lines, as narrow-gauge locomotives would have to be custom-built at significant additional cost. Thus, 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 A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
or
heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...
. In 1970, a 64-mile segment between Antonito and Chama was purchased by the states of
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
and
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, and subsequently began operating excursion trains under the name of Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. Meanwhile, the rest of the route from Chama to Durango, including the Farmington branch, was
abandoned Abandon, abandoned, or abandonment may refer to: Common uses * Abandonment (emotional), a subjective emotional state in which people feel undesired, left behind, insecure, or discarded * Abandonment (legal), a legal term regarding property ** Chi ...
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.


The San Juan extension today

Portions of the Alamosa–Durango line survive to this day. The now standard-gauged section from Alamosa to Antonito remained under ownership by 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 The Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad (formerly the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad) is a class III railroad operating in south-central Colorado. It runs on 154 miles of former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad tracks on three lines radiati ...
, 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 the route each day during summer months. At the
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of Pagosa Junction, also known as Gato, a small portion of narrow-gauge track along with a steel truss bridge are still in place.


Tracks Across Borders

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 A scenic route, tourist road, tourist route, tourist drive, holiday route, theme route, or scenic byway is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty. It often passes by scenic viewpoints ...
known as Tracks Across Borders. The byway, approved on April 16, 2015, follows a series of US, State, and County highways through the communities in Colorado and New Mexico that the railroad once served.


Operations

During the early years, freight trains over the Alamosa–Durango line were handled by the D&RGW's fleet of steam locomotives while passenger services were worked by the railroad's and locomotives. In later years, these were gradually superseded when more powerful type engines were introduced.


Cumbres turn

Because of 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 Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...
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 A bank engine (United Kingdom/Australia) (colloquially a banker), banking engine, helper engine or pusher engine (North America) is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grad ...
.


Branch lines

The Alamosa–Durango line was host to several branch lines which diverted from various points along the route to connect nearby towns and industries. Among these were:


Silverton branch

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 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 Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, often abbreviated as the D&SNG, is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railroad that operates on of track between Durango and Silverton, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The railway is a fe ...
. The line is currently owned by American Heritage Railways.


Santa Fe branch

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 Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...
. It was built by the D&RGW during the 1880s as part of a planned rail link with
El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
. However, construction didn't go beyond Española due to a
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with the nearby
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...
. In 1887, the last 35 miles from Española to Santa Fe was opened by the Texas, Santa Fe & Northern Railroad, a
subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a s ...
of the D&RGW. The entire route was closed in 1941 and subsequently abandoned.


Farmington branch

When completed in 1905, 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. It was converted to 3 ft gauge in the 1920s after plans to standard gauge the Alamosa–Durango line fell through. This branch lasted until the late 1960s when the D&RGW ended its narrow gauge freight operations from Alamosa to Durango.


Pagosa branch

This branch was constructed in the late 1890s to serve the
logging industry Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucks or flatcar#Skeleton car, ...
around
Pagosa Springs The Town of Pagosa Springs (Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Archuleta County, Colorado, ...
. At 30.7 miles, this was the shortest of the D&RGW's major branch lines on the San Juan extension. It was also the shortest-lived; closure took place in the mid-1930s.


References


External links

* Historic American Engineering Record documentation, all filed under Chama, Rio Arriba County, NM: ** ** {{DEFAULTSORT:Alamosa-Durango Line Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Historic American Engineering Record in New Mexico 3 ft gauge railways in the United States Closed railway lines in the United States