Western Railroad Discussion > While I was in Pueblo

Was at the historical center today in the DRGW freight house and snapped a pic of the wall map.
But a couple days before on the way I shot the two CXR units sitting between Pultney and NA Jct
And the reason for the visit was to see what was left at Pueblo. The F unit is visible and I missed it the first time but the Egyptian JT42ACe can be seen across from the fuselages 

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The UP getting their train together from the previous post
And the main objective was the two ex CBRW SD9s waiting to be delivered to South Plains Lamesa RR

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And looking at the yard tracks

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And looking at the SD9s in the class tracks. Yup, Pueblo used to be a hump yard.
And a parting overview with the UP storage lines

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Thanks for sharing, very interesting.
The several images that include the river levee, a concrete walls have a tale to tell.
In about 1925 +/- a massive flood of ithe Arkansas River devastated Pueblo.  At that time they were a serious rival to Denver as the eastern gateway to crossing the Rockies, the Denver & Salt Lake having stalled out after getting over the 10,000+ foot Corona Pass.  Pueblo, through DRGW interchanges with MP, had a lock of transcontinental traffic south of the UP via Cheynne.  Denver politicians offered Pueblo a swap: you support our building Moffat tunnel so we can get better transportation and we'll support a comprehensive flood control plan for you.  Pueblo had to accept the deal, and shortly after the Moffat tunnel was built the Dotsero cutoff connected the D&SL with the DRGW west of Tennessee pass forming the present route still used by UP, BNSF, and Amtrak.  And Pueblo was no longer a rival to Denver.
RTB

Very nice bunch.
JB

The SD9s look good!  And the CXR units.  Thanks for posting.

AB

Great history lesson, thanks!

Interesting post and comment. Thanks to both. Bill Webb

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> Thanks for sharing, very interesting.
> The several images that include the river levee, a
> concrete walls have a tale to tell.
> In about 1925 +/- a massive flood of ithe Arkansas
> River devastated Pueblo.  At that time they were
> a serious rival to Denver as the eastern gateway
> to crossing the Rockies, the Denver & Salt Lake
> having stalled out after getting over the 10,000+
> foot Corona Pass.  Pueblo, through DRGW
> interchanges with MP, had a lock of
> transcontinental traffic south of the UP via
> Cheynne.  Denver politicians offered Pueblo a
> swap: you support our building Moffat tunnel so we
> can get better transportation and we'll support a
> comprehensive flood control plan for you.  Pueblo
> had to accept the deal, and shortly after the
> Moffat tunnel was built the Dotsero cutoff
> connected the D&SL with the DRGW west of Tennessee
> pass forming the present route still used by UP,
> BNSF, and Amtrak.  And Pueblo was no longer a
> rival to Denver.
> RTB

A few upgrades.

The flood began on June 3, 1921, lasting largely to June 5 when it began to subside.  It wasn't totally the Arkansas, but a lot of water came down the Fountain Creek also.  Flooding caused damage from Coloraddo Springs down to Pueblo.  One must remember the Arkansas went through Pueblo on a different path than where it is now.  The Depot is about four city blocks south of the original river path.  It was so impressive my mother said she remembered seeing it with her family from their home neighborhood up on the high ground to the south.  She was one year old on June 5th 1921, so yeah, that memeory might have been an exageration!  I can agree that seeing that would have impressed a young mind.  Denver did take advantage of the bad situation to get the Moffat Tunnel built, but Pueblo was sure needing some additional help at that time.  Denver did feel that Pueblo was sort of a second class area, then and even now.  Pueblo did remain a key point on transcontinetal traffic for a long time, even after the Santa Fe reached Denver.  C&S traffic to/from Texas to from the PNW and west coast was interchanged in Pueblo, as well as even some Santa Fe traffic.  MP traffic remained the mainstay though.

Recently that flood wall was reduced in heighth through town, and I still wonder if that was a bad idea.  Only time will tell.

RR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/26 15:46 by koloradokid.

is/was the longest mural in world , as long as pueblo made steel it was more important, with it being recycled steel only less emplyees, used be CF&I, pueblo was the  third largest city in colo  by 1900 iirc

dan Wrote:
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> is/was the longest mural in world , as long as
> pueblo made steel it was more important, with it
> being recycled steel only less emplyees, used be
> CF&I, pueblo was the  third largest city in
> colo  by 1900 iirc

What was number two.  I don't remember for some reason.

CF&I Steel started it's downfall in the early 1980s.  They do keep on hanging in there.  Pueblo Was called the Pittsburg of the west.

RR