Railroad Forums 

  • Monument, CO area - abandoned ROW

  • Pertaining to all railroad subjects, past and present, in the American West, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, and The Dakotas. For specific railroad topics, please see the Fallen Flags and Active Railroads categories.
Pertaining to all railroad subjects, past and present, in the American West, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, and The Dakotas. For specific railroad topics, please see the Fallen Flags and Active Railroads categories.

Moderator: Komachi

 #145656  by BlockLine_4111
 
Noticed an abandoned ROW in the area of US AFA along 25S somewhere between exits 157 and 156. What line was this and why was it abandoned? Any history or info appreciated.
 #161101  by russp
 
What you saw was the abandoned ex-AT&SF grade of a portion of the Joint Line between Denver and Pueblo. The actual abandonment is between Kelker on the south side of C Spgs and Palmer Lake to the north. The line was abandoned 1n 1974. I don't know why, possibly excess capacity at the time. Freight trains now run in both directions on the UP (ex-D&RGW) between Palmer Lake and Kelker. This stretch of single track no doubt creates the long line of coal trains backed up in Denver heading south. The bi-directional Joint Line was created by the USRA in 1918 (first employee tt is dated 10/1/18) to expedite RG, C&S, AT&SF rail traffic in the Dever - Pueblo corridor. Prior to that, trains ran in both directions over their own lines (C&S / SF shared SF rails) which were often a stone's throw apart.

 #180663  by wess
 
Railfan Magazine did an article on the joint line back in the seventies and it was mentioned that there had been several re-alignments over the years, not excess capacity, but to ease the gradient. I think there is still quite a bit of heavy grades out there and both SF and Rio Grande attempted to improve it somewhat
wess

 #186860  by BlockLine_4111
 
Is part of the ex-ATSF line now a railtrail?
 #198172  by TB Diamond
 
The line was abandoned at the behest of the city of Colorado Springs so that only one rather than two rail lines traversed the city on a north/south axis.

 #198481  by BlockLine_4111
 
It amazes me how competing railroads now "partner" with loco power (e.g. pools) and joint trackage to help one another.

It would be nice if the ATSF routing was still in place, IMO.