Southwest of Denver, Colorado, surrounded by towering 14,000 foot mountain peaks is a small town with a rich railroad history. The towns of Creede and Monte Vista are nestled in some of the most picturesque high country scenery in the state. This area is home to the historic Denver & Rio Grande Railway. Don Shank and other interested parties founded the Denver & Rio Grande Railway Historical Foundation in 1999, and have been working for years to restore the rail lines and get a tourist steam train up and running in this community.
The Foundation currently owns seven rail cars, two 1920's era Flangers for clearing snow, a caboose, and a 1920 FEC Light Pacific #148 steam locomotive manufactured by the American Locomotive Company. The partially restored locomotive was rebuilt in Travers, Michigan and shipped by rail to the D&RGRHF in Monte Vista, Colorado. The Foundation plans to restore the locomotive to working condition to pull a tour train over 30 miles of track between South Fork and Creede, Colorado.
Railroad History, Creede History are Inextricably Connected
In 1883, the railroad brought the first tourists to Creede with the opening of the railroad depot at Wagon Wheel Gap. Fishermen would ride the train to a favorite spot, jump off the train and fish all day, then catch a ride on the returning train later the same day. There was a hot springs and even more tourists came in droves to "take in the waters" purported to have curative and restorative benefits. Creede was a tourism mecca until everything changed one fateful day.
In 1890, word came about veins of high–grade silver which were discovered in the mountains around Creede. The rush to get silver was on and the town quickly swelled to more than 10,000 practically overnight. In 1891, the railroad began hauling silver from the mines and by 1892 more than a million dollars in silver had been hauled out of the Creede area mines. Silver mining was a dominant economic factor in Creede until 1985 when the bottom dropped out of the silver market.
The Denver & Rio Grande Railway Historical Foundation
Some railroad enthusiasts want to restore the rail line for the sane of posterity and a sense of history. Because the railroad was a significant factor in the growth and development of this valley over the past century, the view and goal of the D&RGRHF is to restore the original line called the Wagon Wheel Gap Route with the help of financial backers, donations, gifts, or any other means necessary to get the money to put all the pieces together and actually run this railroad.
It's ironic that a rail line, the very means by which the town grew and thrived for more than a century, is now being rejected by Creede residents. The D&RGRHF wants to rebuild and restore the very railroad line that served as a lifeline and money pipeline to the residents of this valley since 1883. But it seems some residents and the governing officials in Creede just don't want the area to become a modern hot spot for tourism again and they're willing to do just about anything to stop it.
Railroad Foundation Battles the Town of Creede, Colorado
In December of 2007, the city of Creede filed an application to remove the D&RDR tracks from within the city limits. In her May 27th 2008 Valley Courier article entitled “Feds OK Creede railway abandonment,” Ruth Heide explains Creede officials claim the land in question has always belonged to the city. They applied to the agency that has the authority to decide just who will win this battle is in the hands of the U.S. Surface Transportation Safety Board.
Heide also reported that Creede officials filed the application in an effort to gain local control of land under railroad right of way. Officials had requested action form the transportation board before the 2008 tourist season began in order to repair damage made by the D&RGRHF last fall. City officials claim the Foundation had damaged streets and other public property while uncovering the original railroad tracks that had been covered for more than twenty years.
Whether the D&RGR ever run again in this valley depends on who one asks. The residents of Creede will almost certainly do anything to prevent a tourist railroad from being established in the San Luis Valley. The D&RGRHF still holds out hope that a steam whistle will one day echo through this valley and bounce off these high mountain peaks.
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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