Western Railroad Discussion > People in the Denver/Colorado Springs Area

Can anyone give me good places and times, subject to change of course, to shoot freight or any abandoned RoW/shortline stuff in and around the Denver/Colorado Springs area. I have a friend who might require my assistance in moving there in the next few months and I want some input as to where to go.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Regards,

-Frank C.

Frank Christ
Cloverdale, CA
FranksRails Photography, LLC.

Going west from Denver you have the former DRGW Moffat Tunnel Sub towards Salt Lake City; going south you have the Joint Line that runs south to Pueblo with mostly coal but other  traffic on it as well; eastwards you have the Union Pacific KP Line east towards Kanses that roughly parallels I-70 and the BNSF Brush Sub that parallels I-76 to the north east. There's also the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden near the Coors Brewing plant (tours with free samples of beer I believe). Take your pick... PM if I can help with any other questions...

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Down in Colorado Springs, you might catch the US Army , out of Fort Carson preforming interchange work.

The latest issue of Railfan magazine has a large article on the Joint line also

If you're looking for abandoned right-of-way, there is a lot of it.  Unfortunately, a good amount is totally inaccessible during 
winter.  Just west of Boulder is the "Switzerland Trail".  Narrow gauge, and accessible by any reasonably higher clearance vehicle (a Jeep Patriot, for example).
Out from Colorado Springs is the "Gold Camp Road" which runs on the old Cripple Creek narrow guage roadbed to Victor.
There is the Rollins Pass road, which was the standard railroad grade over Rollins Pass prior to the construction of the Moffat Tunnel.
Boreas pass road from Como to Breckenridge is the old Denver, Southpark and Pacific which terminated in Leadville.
You can drive sections of the Denver Southpark and Pacific up from Gunnison to site of the Alpine Tunnel west portal.

Time to do some research :-D
 

Como, Colorado, has a stone roundhouse built by the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railway in 1881.  Last narrow gauge operation was in 1938 by the Colorado & Southern.  South Park Rail Society has rebuilt some track and obtained Klondike Kate #4 to operate in the Como Yard as of 2016.  Como was a division point with a hotel that now is open to guests.  Search for South Park Rail Society for their informative website.

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A very impressive structure along an abandoned railroad right of way in Colorado Springs is the former Santa Fe depot located at 555 East Pikes Peak Avenue.  It is now being used by the Catalyst Campus for Technology & Innovation.

The mtns are full of old abondond railroad lines.  Its winter so a lot are snowed in.  Colorado and Southern (como) Colorado Midland (colo spgs west) to name a few.  You can find info online.  Any of us could name several high passes to see. 
In the (Colo) Springs you could start at the trolley musuem.  coloradospringstrolleys.com  That's the old Rock Island shops.  Follow google maps East of there and you can find the old ROW.    That would be easy to find in winter.  
North of Denver you could shoot the Great Western.  There is a shop in Loveland, CO that normally has some old power around.  Its by the old sugar factory or South of the Home Depot.  
At Pueblo, you could head East.  You could see the old Missouri Pacific grade.  The old code lines are still there as well as the mileposts on the poles.  They used to parellel the ATSF.  The grade is easy to find.  There are also some neat bridges in Pueblo still intact.   
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/18 20:08 by Pinlifter.

Thank you all. I'm not sure if it'll be winter when I come but the help is appreciated! Now what are the "safe spots" to hang out in around Denver? :P

Regards,

-Frank C.

Frank Christ
Cloverdale, CA
FranksRails Photography, LLC.