Alamosa�Durango Line

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Alamosa�Durango Line
Denver and Rio Grande narrow gauge freight near Chama 1968.JPG
Denver and Rio Grande freight train near Chama, NM, 1968.
Overview
Other name(s) San Juan Line
Locale Colorado and New Mexico, United States
Operation
Owner
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (original owner)
San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad (Alamosa to Antonito)
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (Chama to Antonito)
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (Durango to Silverton)
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Old gauge 3 ft (914 mm)
The Alamosa�Durango Line or San Juan Line was a railroad line built by the Denver
and Rio Grande Western Railroad, following the border between the U.S. states of
Colorado and New Mexico, in the Rocky Mountains. The line was originally built as a
3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge line between its namesake cities of Alamosa and Durango.
However, through the years portions of the line were re-gauged multiple times and
both narrow-gauge and 4 ft 8 1/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge extensions and
branches were built. Three portions of this line survive today: the now standard-
gauge portion from Alamosa to Antonito, Colorado, and two narrow-gauge portions
operated as heritage railways.

History
The railroad reached Durango in 1881, with a branch built north to Silverton by
1882. With an increasing amount of agricultural commodities being hauled out of the
area and onto the national standard-gauge rail network, in 1901 the section from
Alamosa to Antonito was converted to a three-track dual gauge, allowing both 4 ft 8
1/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge and narrow gauge to run.[1] This was followed by a
standard-gauge branch south to Farmington, New Mexico, built in 1902, which was
converted to 3 ft (914 mm) gauge in 1923. The line subsisted on ore from the
Silverton branch, and other general freight such as lumber and agricultural
products through the early 1950s. The line was part of a larger "narrow gauge
circle" that began to be abandoned piecemeal beginning with the closure of a
section of the circle between Montrose and Cimarron Colorado. The line experienced
an unexpected "boom" in traffic beginning in the early 1950s. Farmington in that
period received as much freight, and in fact, more freight/revenue than any other
location in the D&RGW system. This boom provided necessary revenue to keep the line
operating, albeit with steam locomotives and wooden cars, through the end of the
1960s. At which time it was recognized that it was one of the last locations in the
United States where steam locomotives were still used. This brought recognition
that some portion of the line should be preserved as a museum or heritage railway.
In 1970, after the narrow-gauge portions of the line were completely abandoned, the
Antonito�Alamosa section was converted again, to a traditional 2-rail standard-
gauge line, becoming the last 3-rail portion of the D&RGW system to be eliminated.

Today, the Walsenburg�Alamosa�Antonito line survives as the standard-gauge San Luis

and Rio Grande Railroad, with passenger excursion trains service provided by the
Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. After entertaining various possibilities (including the
National Park Service) concerning the line between Antonito and Durango, the
Antonito�Chama line was sold to the states of Colorado and New Mexico to be
operated as the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. The D&RGW operated the Durango
to Silverton line through the 1970s before selling the line in 1981 to Charles E.
Bradshaw who then operated Durango�Silverton branch as the Durango and Silverton
Narrow Gauge Railroad.

See also
Rio Grande Southern � An extension to this rail line that was operated as a
separate company

References
Narrow Gauge Memories - Alamosa to Chama
Categories: Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad3 ft gauge railways in the United
States
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This page was last edited on 1 September 2017, at 16:12.
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