In a time of history when ambitious men dreamed big dreams, one man would accomplish something really big. The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad–better known as the Rio Grande throughout most of it's history–began as the vision of one William Jackson Palmer. Palmer was the personification of the self-made man in a time when ambition was a virtue and impossible dreams were realized.
Starting from humble beginnings, Palmer would remain supremely idealistic all through his entire life. At the young age of 17 years, he joined the Hempfield Railroad as a member of the engineering corps. He eventually became the private secretary to the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. From there, Palmer fought in the Civil War where he rose to the rank of brevet brigadier general and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor.
General Palmer Heads West
Having mustered out of the army on June 21, 1865, General Palmer headed west toward the American frontier. He joined the Kansas Pacific Railroad and supervised the advance survey parties pushing westward across expansive the Great Plains. When he came to the Colorado territory, Palmer observed the vast amount of mineral wealth buried in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It was likely the first time Palmer began to dream of a mountain railroad empire.
By 1869, Palmer was busy promoting his idea of a railroad empire that would run from Denver, through the mountains of Colorado, and south to El Paso and the Rio Grande River. In 1870 after raising enough eastern and foreign investment capital to start a railroad, Palmer resigned from the Kansas Pacific Railroad and incorporated the Denver and Rio Grande Railway.
The Decision to Build a Narrow Gauge Railroad
As Palmer and his associates studied the mountain routes for this new railroad, they decided a more feasible idea would be the use narrow gauge tracks. Standard gauge rails are spaced four feet, eight and one-half inches apart, while narrow gauge rails are spaced at just three feet apart. Narrow gauge rails were known to be more efficient in mountainous terrain and were also more economical to build.
Palmer's Dream Realized
The first Denver and Rio Grande Railway narrow gauge tracks were laid starting in Denver on July, 28, 1871. That same summer, Palmer began to build his new "city" of Colorado Springs as a tourist destination for people visiting the American West. All of the pieces were coming together and Palmer's dream of a railroad in the Rockies was about to become reality.
In October 1871, the first train of the new Denver and Rio Grande Railway pulled out of Denver and headed south to Colorado Springs. The passenger cars were filled with local dignitaries, reporters, and businessmen. A seemingly tiny 2-4-0 type steam locomotive named the Montezuma slowly led the way south and the D&RG was in business. Against seemingly impossible odds, General William Jackson Palmer would build a mountain railroad empire and become one of the richest men in America.
Source:
• Griffin, James R.; Rio Grande Railroad. St. Paul, MN; MBI Publishing , 2003
Mark Oehlert - Mark has 50 years life experience (wisdom comes with age, right?) and over 28 years experience writing copy for ads, articles, marketing ...
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