The Delta independent., 1912-09-20
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
ON BROAD -GUAGING
DELTA TO BE ON MAIN LINE
Will Standard Guage Marshall Pass
Line in Time To Handle Crops
Of the Western Slope Fur
Season of 1912

Announcement has just been made
by President Bush and Vice-Presi-
dent Brown that at a recent meeang
of the board OF directors OF the
Denver & Rio Grande railroad com
pany. New York City. it was de-
cided TO standard-guage the present
narrow guage line over Marshall
pass between Salida and Montrose.
This involves widening the guage
from three feet to four feet eight
and a half inches for a distance of
1876 miles at a cost of approximately
100000.
From 1888 to 1890 transcoou-
mental trains of the Denver 4 Rio
Grande were operated over Maranall
pass. but in the year LIT mention
ed the standard guage line by way
of Tennessee PASS and Glenwood
Springs was constructed and since
then through trains have been OPP
Grated through the after road and
the Marshall pass narrow guage has
been reserved for tourists and sight
seers and such local freight as orig
mates within its territory.
The Marshall pass route, famed
the world over for its scenic attrac-
tions, crosses the continental divide
at an altitude of I0.S56 feet, and
the new standard gugae line will
cross at the same elevation and pre-
serve the many scenic attractions
of the old route.
Marshall PASS, by reason of be
ing the first, is perhaps the best
known crossing of the Continental
divide. This comparatively low
pass was discovered in 1871 by Lieu
tenant w. L. Marshall. at that
time attached TO the 4geoloaical sdrS
vey. now brigadier general of the
United States army. retired. and a
resident of Washington, ID. c. The
pass was named after Lieutenant
Marshall.
The decision of tha directors to
appropriate so large a sum OF money
was arrived at in order to properly
take care of the rapidly increasing
transcontinental traffic augmented by
the opening of the Western Pacific
railway, the Pacific coast extern
sion of the Denver & Rio Grande,
as well as TO take care of the en-
ormous tonnage in fruit, coal, ore.
grain, cattle and other traffic be-
ing developed on the Western Slope
of the Rocky mountains in Colorado
and thereby increase the road
transportation by having two
standard guage lines through the
Rocky Mountains.
A large engineering force is now in
the field making surveys and recti-
flying alignment of such portions OF
the narrow-guage as are suitable fol
standard-guage operations on ac-
count of the curvature. These sur
vcys are being rapidly made and
when completed a contract will be
let for the work. An order will
be placed in the very near future
for large number of heavy steel
bridges which will be required to
take the place of the present struc-
lures which are adapted for mar
rowguage equipment.
IL is anticipated that the work
will be completed within the next
twelve months. in ample time to
move to 1913 fruit and potato crops
of the Uncompahgre and Gunnisor
valleys in Colorado.
When the new Marshall pass line
has been completed the Denver q
Rio Grande will have two standard
guage main lines through the Rocky
mountains between Denver and
Salt Lake City, one by way of Ten
nessee pass. Glenwood Springs and
Grand Junction and the other over
Marshall pass. through the Black
canon of the Gunnison. by way oi
Montrose, Delta and Grand June
ton.
Along with other improvements
~ fine new depot has been prom.
ised Delta and no doubt the yard
improvements at this place will hav'
the attention they require.
!,