Western Railroad Discussion > Rock Island Remnants

I stumbled across this in the small town of Limon in eastern Colorado.  It appears to be the original crossing guard for the Rock Island-Kansas Pacific diamond.  The ties in the foreground are the western end of the old Rock Island line to Colorado Springs,  now operated by Kyle.  The existing track is now the Union Pacific between KC and Denver.  Only the roadbed remains of the Rock on the other side of the UP line.  I had never come across a 'gate' like this before.  From its appearance, it must havr been electric locked, just like a switch, and tied into the KP signal system.  That is assuming that the gate's current location was its original location under KP/Rock days.  

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Great photo!

When I worked for the Rockisland we had a few of those gates on secondary lines to cross other railroad Mainlines. Like our Victoria mine run to cross the CB&Q at Galva.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

There was and perhaps still is a gate like that in Shelbyville, KY that guarded a L&N (now RJ Corman) branch crossing the Southern (now Norfolk Southern) mainline.
ALLEN 

it is from back in the day, up pulled the diamond after the rock went away and put it in for C&LC to operate there, then...

There was a gate like this in Highland Park, CA at the UP Pasadena Branch Crossing of the Santa Fe's 2nd District line to Pasadena and east.

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA

Looks a little like the “triple stop” gate that used to guard the crossing in Gibsland, LA

Posted from iPhone

Yes, that is the original gate location and the ties demark the CRI&P mainline headed southwest from
Limon, CO towards Colorado Springs.  Limon was where the Rocky Mountain Rocket was either divided
or joined for the runs  to Denver and Colorado Springs.  BTW the depot is nicely preserved and a well
worthwhile museum to visit.

Odyssey
Evergreen, CO

These were ;pretty standard features for railroad grade crossings on the Rock of low traffic.  There were several in Iowa.  In fact, I posted a shot of one in Des Moines.  Do you think the local museum has preserved this?  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Is there an archive somewhere that has C&RIP maps?  I'm trying to get one for Calhan, Colorado.

Thanks for posting those maps.  So, there was a RI dining hall opposite the depot on the other side of the track...interesting.    That is where UPRR parks their MOW maintenance vehicles now.  Yes, I agree, the depot is nicely preserved. It was not open though when I visited (only open on weekends).   The corner of the depot shows up in the photo of the gate.  Since the gate is adjacent to the depot and a display of some rolling stock and a semaphore signal, my guess is the gate is preserved/cared for by the museum.