Evening star., 1941-11-10
The Stars Special News Service.

have totaled nearly 5000 miles in
Colorado. It was some of the most
spectacular railroad building in the
world
Less Than 900 Miles Left
Now there remain less than 900
miles of narroW-gauge track in the
Nations highest State, still the
major province Of narrow gauge
operations in the United States.
The narrow-gauge lines were
reckless of curve, grade and cost,
because they were headed for buck
cts of gold and silver coming out
of mines at Central City, Cripple
Creek, Telluride, Ouray, Georgetown
and Silver Plume
They climbed into country i'm
possible for standard track, which
was fixed by congressional statute
in 1863 at the odd width of 4 feet
8i2inches. Legend says this So
called standard gauge. one of a
dozen used by early American rail-
road builders. derived from the
tread Of English coal mine carts,
first vehicles TO run on rails.
A per cent grade and 6 degree
curve are regarded as the limits
for smooth operation on such stand
ard track.
Four Feet Was Ordinary.
But on 3-foot track a 4 per cent
| grade feet of climb for each 100
feet OF distance-was ordinary. On
curves, the stubby narrow-gaugee en-
gines could turn at 80 degrees and
| more.
Many Of the roaring camps which
the narrow-gauge lines were built
to serve now are ghost towns Most
| of the mines have petered out
| Broad, black-topped highways have
followed the narrow track routes
and trucks and automobiles haul
the freight and passengers which
the 3-foot pixies needed to exist.
The Crystal River & San Juan
hauled the stone in the Lincoln
Memorial, as well as the Unknown
Soldiers marker down the 7.3 miles
TO Placita. From there the marble
was sent 2066 miles over the Crystal
River Railroad to the Denver & Rio
Grande Westerns standard track at
Carbondale.
In wartime there is no marble
business. So the two little railroads
have asked permission to tear up
their tracks.
Lines Are Disappearing.
Their imminent abandonment is
a current example of the quicken
ing disappearance of the narrow
gauge lines.
On last Labor Day, while Santa
Fe, N. Mex, celebrated its annual
fiesta, the last train puffed north
on the 125-mile Chill line branch |
to Antonito, Colo. and the New |
Mexico capital lost its only narrow
gauge railroad.
The Denver & Rio Grande West
ern. turned away from its original l..
goal, Mexico City. by the silver |
bonanZas in Leadville. still is the |
countrys largest narrow-gauge op-
orator.
The D. & R. G. WIS 612.e5 miles
Of 3-foot track provide the only rail
transportation in a vast region of |
Southwestern Colorado and North
ern New Mexico.
Between Alamosa and Durango.
1898 miles twisting over Cumbres
Pass into New Mexico sheep coun-
try and back into Colorado, it runs
the only daily narrow-gauge pas
senger schedules in the Nation.
This runs f1ve-car trains have
club cars, fitted with easy chairs and
divans.
May Garry On.
The Alamosa-Durango line and
some of the short spurs probably
will carry on for many years. for
it's long haul over rugged country
to take to market the lumber. live
stock, coal and minerals of that
country
The Colorado g. Southern Rail-
road once ran more than 400 miles
over narrow-gauge track, into the
fabulous gold camps of Central City
and Black Hawk, over the astonish-
ing Georgetown Loop into Silver
Plume and across three steep noun
tain passes into Leadville
Only 80 miles of that track survive.
The c. g. S. left train in Idaho |
Spring and locomotive in Central
City as monuments to a lIsty ca
reer in miner-rich Clear Creek |
Canon.
The Georgetown loop was kind |
OF engineering marvel. A. j. Weston, |
Colorado railroad engineer, says it |
was an example of the limit in
railroad curvature.
Curled Over Loop.
To negotiate a 388-foot rise in a
distance Of little more than a mile,
the track curled over itself on the
loop with 20 degree curves, bent in
three sharp hairpin turns, and ira
versed almost three times the
creeks route. The track curves to-
tailed three complete circles and the
maximum grade was $50 per cent.
From Silver Plume the Argentine
Central climbed up the north side Of
Leavenworth Mountain by SWITCH
back turns to the Waldorf Mine,
and rode like roller coaster COM
ing down McClelland Mountain.
All that remains of the so-called
South Park line, from Denver to
Leadville, is 13 miles Of track to
haul molybdenum from Climax to
Leadville. and a spur from Denver
to Waterton which hauls feldspar.
Before the South Park lines track
was ripped out three years ago, it
developed an appreciable sideline
business-Sunday fishing excursions
In South Platte Canon.
. The train dropped fishermen at
favorite spots on the way up. Com
ing back, it picked up the anglers
wherever they hailed the engineer.
Chinese Make TELESCOPES