Nostalgia & History > Hugo, Colorado

MSN had an interesting photo of Hugo, Colorado.  “This photo taken in Hugo, Colorado, on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 shows an old city sign for Hugo that sits on the edge of town.”
 
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/colorado-town-finds-no-marijuana-chemical-in-water-cancels-restrictions/ar-BBuIAHM?li=BBnb7Kz
 
I did a Google search for Hugo, Colorado Railroad and got a number of results. 
 
One of the results was a Wikipedia webpage for the railroad depot at Limon and a picture. 
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limon_Railroad_Depot
 
Picture 1, “Description: Postcard photo of the Limon, Colorado railroad station in 1909.  Date:
The Limon, CO. postmark date is not visible; the Breda, Netherlands one is 31 July 1909.  Source: eBay item photo.  Author: Producer/photographer unknown.” 
 

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I copied the following excerpt from the Wikipedia webpage,
 
“In 1870, the Kansas Pacific railroad, now Union Pacific, was the first railroad to pass where the
town of Limon is today.  The town was not incorporated (and didn't have a station) yet so trains passed by without stopping on their way to Denver.
In 1888, the Rock Island Line constructed a camp for workers building the main line to Colorado Springs.  The track intersected the Union Pacific track where the depot is now.  The town was named after the construction supervisor for the railroad, John Limon.  The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific (Rock Island Line) then decided that Denver would be a better western terminus for their trains. In 1889, the two railroads reached an agreement to allow ‘The Rock’ to use Union Pacific's Limon Subdivision line on trackage rights.  Before that, trains went to Colorado Springs and used Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad track north to Denver.  Limon became a major junction for the two railroads, since it was where trains such as the Rocky Mountain Rocket split to Denver or Colorado Springs, respectively.” 
 
I found a second interesting website,
 
https://caturner.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/case-files-of-leonard-delue-man-shot-in-hugo-co-train-robbery
 
“Case Files of Leonard DeLue: Man Shot in Hugo, CO Train Robbery.”    
 

Hugo is also the home one of the three surviving Union Pacific Round Houses. Others are Cheyenne and Evanston.
Steve

An article I read earlier today specifically mentioned that Hugo was a railroad town.  I was going to look into it further, but you saved me the trouble.  Thanks, Flynn, for doing the research.

Flynn, thanks for the posting of this great photo.  As a longtime Western Kansas RI fan, Limon has always been a Colorado focal point when passing in that area.  From the photo it appears the RI depot is on the left and the view is looking northeastward (rearward to Colorado Springs) up the RI main line while the KP (now UP) line passes northwestward toward Denver.  Note the RI steam loco east of the depot.  I'm wondering about the building to the right of the photo.  Was this a hotel or offices for the RI?

I'm including a current Google Maps shot showing the later modern RI depot that is now a community museum.  Note the tracks in front of it with the caboose centered between two passenger cars and a bit further to the right are two more passenger cars with a RI wedge snow plow.  I'm wondering if this plow belongs to the museum or if the current operator of the ex-RI line, Kyle RR, uses this plow when needed.

Also in this image note the foundations of the old roundhouse and turntable inside the "wye".  I assume this was the RI roundhouse prior to the later one stall brick structure that sat toward the east end of the yards for the RI diesel switcher and near the RI stock car repair tracks.  My other question is where exactly were these stock car repair facilities?  I see on Google Maps the current electrical power company supply yard and transformers with lines but have lost orientation/location to these repair tracks.  

I wish someone had a RI blueprint showing the entire Limon facilities of the area in the late 40's/early 50's that could be posted here.  Anyone????, please!!

Again, thanks for a great posting Flynn!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/16 12:28 by rrman6.

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