This list of Colorado railroads identifies the variety of active, historic, and defunct railroads in the U.S. State of Colorado.
Name | Mark | System [a] | From | To | Successor | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentine Central Railway | 1905 | 1912 | Argentine and Gray's Peak Railway | |||
Argentine and Gray's Peak Railway | 1913 | 1918 | N/A | |||
Arkansas Valley Railroad | ATSF | 1900 | 1907 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | ||
Aspen Short Line Railway | 1888 | 1893 | Colorado Midland Railroad | |||
Aspen and Western Railway | 1880 | 1892 | Crystal River Railway | |||
Associated Railroads | none | AT&SF, CB&Q (BN), CRI&P, C&S (BN) and D&RGW | 1953 | 1988 | Regional Transportation District | Consortium formed to operate former Denver and Inter-Mountain Railroad line to the Denver Federal Center. Service provided alternately by C&S (BN) and D&RGW on behalf of the other owning railroads. |
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad | ATSF | 1873 | 1895 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | ||
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | ATSF | ATSF | 1895 | 1996 | Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway | |
Beaver, Penrose and Northern Railway | 1909 | 1920 | N/A | |||
Book Cliff Railroad | 1899 | 1925 | N/A | |||
Burlington and Colorado Railroad | CB&Q | 1881 | 1908 | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | ||
Burlington Northern Inc. | BN | 1970 | 1981 | Burlington Northern Railroad | ||
Burlington Northern Railroad | BN | 1981 | 1996 | Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway | ||
Busk Tunnel Railway | 1890 | 1900 | Colorado Midland Railway | |||
Cadillac and Lake City Railway | CLK | 1981 | 1989 | N/A | ||
Canon de Agua Railroad | CB&Q | 1889 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Canon City and Cripple Creek Railroad | 1897 | 1915 | N/A | |||
Canon City and San Juan Railway | ATSF | 1877 | 1878 | Pueblo and Arkansas Valley Railroad | ||
Canon Coal Railway | DRGW | 1872 | 1878 | Denver and Rio Grande Railway | ||
Central Kansas Railway | CKRY | 1997 | 2001 | Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad | ||
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | CB&Q | CB&Q | 1881 | 1970 | Burlington Northern Inc. | |
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway | CB&Q | 1901 | 1907 | N/A | Leased the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | |
Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway | RI | 1888 | 1891 | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway | ||
Chicago, Rock Island and Colorado Railway | RI | 1888 | 1888 | Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway | ||
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | RI, ROCK | RI | 1947 | 1980 | Cadillac and Lake City Railway | |
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway | RI | RI | 1888 | 1948 | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | |
Chicosa Canon Railway | CB&Q | 1889 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Clear Creek and Guy Gulch Wagon Road Company | CB&Q | 1871 | 1873 | Colorado Central Railroad | ||
Colorado Railroad | 1938 | 1957 | N/A | |||
Colorado Railroad | CB&Q | 1906 | 1930 | Colorado and Southern Railway | ||
Colorado Railway | DRGW | 1883 | 1888 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Colorado Central Railroad | CB&Q | 1869 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Colorado Central and Pacific Railroad | CB&Q | 1866 | 1869 | Colorado Central Railroad | ||
Colorado and Clear Creek Railroad | CB&Q | 1865 | 1866 | Colorado Central and Pacific Railroad | ||
Colorado Eastern Railroad | 1894 | 1915 | N/A | |||
Colorado Eastern Railway | 1888 | 1894 | Colorado Eastern Railroad | |||
Colorado–Kansas Railway | 1911 | 1932 | Colorado Railroad | |||
Colorado, Kansas and Pacific Railway | CKP | 2000 | 2003 | Towner Railway | ||
Colorado Midland Railroad | CM | 1917 | 1921 | Midland Terminal Railway | ||
Colorado Midland Railroad | 1893 | 1897 | Colorado Midland Railway | |||
Colorado Midland Railway | 1897 | 1917 | Colorado Midland Railroad | |||
Colorado Midland Railway | 1883 | 1893 | Colorado Midland Railroad | |||
Colorado and New Mexico Railroad | ATSF | 1873 | 1875 | Pueblo and Arkansas Valley Railroad | ||
Colorado Northern Railway | CB&Q | 1883 | 1884 | Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad | ||
Colorado and Northwestern Railroad | 1904 | 1909 | Denver, Boulder and Western Railroad | |||
Colorado and Northwestern Railway | 1897 | 1904 | Colorado and Northwestern Railroad | |||
Colorado and Pacific Wagon, Telegraph and Railroad Company | CB&Q | 1861 | 1871 | Clear Creek and Guy Gulch Wagon Road Company | ||
Colorado and Salt Lake Railroad | CB&Q | 1871 | 1872 | Colorado Central Railroad | ||
Colorado and Southeastern Railroad | C&SE | 1909 | 1952 | N/A | ||
Colorado and Southeastern Railway | 1903 | 1909 | Colorado and Southeastern Railroad | |||
Colorado and Southern Railway | C&S, CS | CB&Q | 1898 | 1981 | Burlington Northern Railroad | |
Colorado Southwestern Railway | DRGW | 1888 | 1889 | Rio Grande Junction Railway | ||
Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek District Railway | CCD | 1899 | 1920 | N/A | ||
Colorado and Utah Railway | 1886 | 1892 | Crystal River Railway | |||
Colorado and Wyoming Railroad | CB&Q | 1887 | 1908 | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | ||
Colorado, Wyoming and Eastern Railway | UP | 1914 | 1924 | Northern Colorado and Eastern Railroad | ||
Colorado, Wyoming and Great Northern Railroad | 1894 | 1899 | Book Cliff Railroad | |||
Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad | 1915 | 1921 | Midland Terminal Railway | |||
Cripple Creek District Railway | 1897 | 1899 | Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek District Railway | |||
Crystal River Railroad | 1898 | 1941 | N/A | |||
Crystal River Railway | 1892 | 1898 | Crystal River Railroad | |||
Crystal River and San Juan Railroad | 1906 | 1941 | N/A | |||
Denver Railroad and Land Company | 1886 | 1887 | Denver Railroad, Land and Coal Company | |||
Denver Railroad, Land and Coal Company | 1887 | 1888 | Colorado Eastern Railway | |||
Denver Railway | DRWY | 1989 | 1993 | Denver Rock Island Railroad | ||
Denver and Boulder Valley Railroad | UP | 1870 | 1898 | Union Pacific Railroad | ||
Denver, Boulder and Western Railroad | 1909 | 1919 | N/A | |||
Denver Circle Railroad | ATSF | 1880 | 1886 | Denver and Santa Fe Railway | ||
Denver, Clear Creek and Western Railway | DRGW | 1888 | 1899 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Denver, Cripple Creek and Southwestern Railroad | CB&Q | 1896 | 1899 | Colorado and Southern Railway | ||
Denver, Golden and Salt Lake Railroad | CB&Q | 1881 | 1917 | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | ||
Denver and Inter-Mountain Railroad | D&IM, DIM | 1909 | 1953 | Associated Railroads (AT&SF, CB&Q, CRI&P, C&S and D&RGW) | Electric after 1909 | |
Denver and Inter-Mountain Railway | 1904 | 1909 | Denver and Inter-Mountain Railroad | |||
Denver, Lakewood and Golden Railroad | 1890 | 1904 | Denver and Inter-Mountain Railway | |||
Denver, Laramie and Northern Railroad | 1917 | 1917 | Great Western Railway of Colorado | |||
Denver, Laramie and Northwestern Railroad | 1910 | 1917 | Denver, Laramie and Northern Railroad | |||
Denver, Laramie and Northwestern Railway | 1906 | 1910 | Denver, Laramie and Northwestern Railroad | |||
Denver, Leadville and Gunnison Railway | CB&Q | 1889 | 1898 | Colorado and Southern Railway | ||
Denver, Longmont and Northwestern Railroad | CB&Q | 1881 | 1883 | Colorado Northern Railway | ||
Denver, Marshall and Boulder Railway | CB&Q | 1885 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Denver and Middle Park Railroad | CB&Q | 1883 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Denver and Montana Railroad | CB&Q | 1899 | 1908 | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | ||
Denver and New Orleans Railroad | CB&Q | 1881 | 1886 | Denver, Texas and Gulf Railroad | ||
Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway | DRGW | 1902 | 1913 | Denver and Salt Lake Railroad | ||
Denver Pacific Railway and Telegraph Company | UP | 1867 | 1880 | Union Pacific Railway | ||
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | DRGW | 1886 | 1921 | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | ||
Denver and Rio Grande Railway | DRGW | 1870 | 1886 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | D&RG, D&RGW, DRGW | DRGW | 1920 | 1997 | Union Pacific Railroad | |
Denver and Salt Lake Railroad | D&SL | DRGW | 1912 | 1927 | Denver and Salt Lake Railway | |
Denver and Salt Lake Railway | D&SL | DRGW | 1926 | 1947 | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | |
Denver and Salt Lake Western Railroad | DRGW | 1924 | 1947 | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | ||
Denver and Santa Fe Railway | ATSF | 1887 | 1900 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | ||
Denver, South Park and Hill Top Railway | CB&Q | 1896 | 1897 | Denver, Leadville and Gunnison Railway | ||
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad | CB&Q | 1873 | 1889 | Denver, Leadville and Gunnison Railway | ||
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railway | CB&Q | 1872 | 1873 | Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad | ||
Denver and Southwestern Railway | 1899 | 1904 | Cripple Creek Central Railway (holding company) | |||
Denver Terminal Railroad | DTMR | 1986 | 1989 | Denver Railway | ||
Denver, Texas and Gulf Railroad | CB&Q | 1885 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Denver, Texas and Fort Worth Railroad | CB&Q | 1887 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Denver Union Railway and Terminal Company | UP | 1889 | 1900 | Union Pacific Railroad | ||
Denver Union Terminal Railway | DUT | ATSF/ CB&Q/ DRGW/ RI/ UP | 1912 | 2001 | Regional Transportation District | |
Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad | CB&Q | 1880 | 1908 | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | ||
Denver, Western and Pacific Railway | CB&Q | 1880 | 1885 | Denver, Marshall and Boulder Railway | ||
Elk Mountain Railway | 1887 | 1898 | Crystal River Railroad | |||
Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad | 1893 | 1915 | Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad | |||
Fort Collins Development Railway | CB&Q | 1902 | 1908 | Colorado Railroad | ||
Fort Worth and Denver Railway | FWD | CB&Q | 1881 | 1982 | Burlington Northern Railroad | |
Georgetown, Breckenridge and Leadville Railway | CB&Q | 1881 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Gilpin Railroad | CB&Q | 1909 | 1917 | N/A | ||
Gilpin Tramway Company | CB&Q | 1886 | 1906 | Gilpin Railroad | ||
Golden Circle Railroad | 1896 | 1915 | Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad | |||
Golden City and Gilpin County Wagon and Railroad Company | CB&Q | 1870 | 1872 | Colorado Central Railroad | ||
Golden City and South Platte Railway and Telegraph Company | 1872 | 1880 | N/A | |||
Grand Valley Railway | DRGW | 1886 | 1887 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Greeley, Salt Lake and Pacific Railway | CB&Q | 1881 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
Greeley Terminal Railway | 1909 | 1917 | N/A | |||
Holly and Swink Railway | ATSF | 1906 | 1907 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | ||
Kansas–Colorado Railroad | 1908 | 1910 | Colorado–Kansas Railway | |||
Kansas Pacific Railway | UP | 1869 | 1880 | Union Pacific Railway | ||
Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific Railway | UP | 1911 | 1914 | Colorado, Wyoming and Eastern Railway | ||
Laramie, North Park and Western Railroad | UP | 1924 | 1951 | Union Pacific Railroad | ||
Larimer and Routt County Railway | UP | 1907 | 1914 | Colorado, Wyoming and Eastern Railway | ||
Leadville Mineral Belt Railway | CB&Q | 1898 | 1900 | Colorado and Southern Railway | ||
Leadville, Ten Mile and Breckenridge Railway | DRGW | 1880 | 1880 | Denver and Rio Grande Railway | ||
Little Book Cliff Railway | 1889 | 1894 | Colorado, Wyoming and Great Northern Railroad | |||
London, South Park and Leadville Railroad | 1882 | 1885 | South Park and Leadville Short Line Railroad | |||
Longmont and Erie Railroad | CB&Q | 1878 | 1881 | Denver, Longmont and Northwestern Railroad | ||
Midland Terminal Railway | MTR | 1892 | 1949 | N/A | ||
Missouri Pacific Railroad | MP | MP | 1917 | 1997 | Union Pacific Railroad | |
Missouri Pacific Railway | MP | 1887 | 1917 | Missouri Pacific Railroad | ||
Mount Carbon, Gunnison and Lake City Railroad and Coal Transportation Company | CB&Q | 1877 | 1881 | Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad | ||
Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado RailNet | NKCR | 1996 | 2005 | Nebraska Kansas Colorado Railway | ||
Northern Colorado and Eastern Railroad | UP | 1924 | 1924 | Laramie, North Park and Western Railroad | ||
Northwestern Terminal Railroad | DRGW | 1927 | 1968 | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | ||
Northwestern Terminal Railway | DRGW | 1904 | 1927 | Northwestern Terminal Railroad | ||
Platt Valley Railway | 1993 | 1993 | Denver Rock Island Railroad | |||
Pueblo and Arkansas Valley Railroad | ATSF | 1875 | 1900 | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | ||
Pueblo and Salt Lake Railway | ATSF | 1873 | 1875 | Pueblo and Arkansas Valley Railroad | ||
Pueblo and State Line Railroad | MP | 1887 | 1910 | Missouri Pacific Railway | ||
Pueblo Union Depot and Railroad Company | ATSF/ CB&Q/ DRGW/ MP/ RI | 1887 | ||||
Rio Grande Railroad | DRGW | 1900 | 1908 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Rio Grande Gunnison Railway | DRGW | 1891 | 1908 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Rio Grande Junction Railway | DRGW | 1889 | 1947 | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | ||
Rio Grande, Pagosa and Northern Railroad | DRGW | 1899 | 1908 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Rio Grande and Pagosa Springs Railroad | 1895 | 1914 | N/A | |||
Rio Grande, Pueblo and Southern Railroad | DRGW | 1902 | 1908 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Rio Grande Sangre de Cristo Railroad | DRGW | 1901 | 1908 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Rio Grande Southern Railroad | DRGW | 1889 | 1951 | N/A | ||
Rio Grande Western Railway | DRGW | 1889 | 1908 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Road Canon Railroad | CB&Q | 1889 | 1890 | Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | ||
St. Joseph and Iowa Railroad | RI | 1888 | 1888 | Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway | ||
San Luis Southern Railway | 1909 | 1928 | San Luis Valley Southern Railway | |||
San Luis Valley Southern Railway | 1928 | 1953 | Southern San Luis Valley Railroad | |||
Silverton Railroad | 1887 | 1904 | Silverton Railway | |||
Silverton Railway | 1904 | 1922 | N/A | |||
Silverton, Gladstone and Northerly Railroad | 1899 | 1915 | Silverton Northern Railroad | |||
Silverton Northern Railroad | 1895 | 1941 | N/A | |||
South Park and Leadville Short Line Railroad | 1885 | 1900 | N/A | |||
Southern San Luis Valley Railroad | SSLV | 1953 | 1996 | N/A | ||
State Line and Denver Railway | DRGW | 1889 | 1889 | Rio Grande Western Railway | ||
Trinidad Railway | TRIN | 1992 | Still exists as a joint lessor of the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad | |||
Trinidad and Denver Railroad | DRGW | 1886 | 1888 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Trinidad and Denver Terminal and Railway Company | DRGW | 1888 | 1899 | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | ||
Uintah Railway | 1903 | 1939 | N/A | |||
Union Depot and Railroad Company | ATSF/ CB&Q/ DRGW/ RI/ UP | 1879 | 1899 | Union Depot and Railway Company | ||
Union Depot and Railway Company | ATSF/ CB&Q/ DRGW/ RI/ UP | 1899 | 1914 | Denver Union Terminal Railway | ||
Union Pacific Railway | UP | 1880 | 1898 | Union Pacific Railroad | ||
Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division | UP | 1866 | 1869 | Kansas Pacific Railway | ||
Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway | CB&Q | 1890 | 1898 | Colorado and Southern Railway | ||
Union Pacific, Lincoln and Colorado Railway | UP | 1888 | 1898 | N/A | Sold at foreclosure; no property in Colorado | |
Walsenburg and Western Railway | CB&Q | 1907 | 1910 | Colorado Railroad |
The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, often shortened to Rio Grande, D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a 3 ft narrow-gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado, in 1870. It served mainly as a transcontinental bridge line between Denver and Ogden, Utah. The Rio Grande was also a major origin of coal and mineral traffic.
A mountain railway is a railway that operates in a mountainous region. It may operate through the mountains by following mountain valleys and tunneling beneath mountain passes, or it may climb a mountain to provide transport to and from the summit.
The Colorado Central Railroad was a U.S. railroad company that operated in Colorado and southeastern Wyoming in the late 19th century. It was founded in the Colorado Territory in the wake of the Colorado Gold Rush to ship gold from the mountains. It expanded from its Golden–Denver line to form a crucial link connecting Colorado with the transcontinental railroad and the national rail network. The history of the railroad throughout the 1870s was driven at times by a fierce struggle between local interests, led by W.A.H. Loveland, and outside investors of the Union Pacific Railroad led at times by Jay Gould. The early struggle of the company to build its lines was a major part of the early competition between Denver and Golden for supremacy as the principal metropolis of Colorado.
The Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad was a historic 3 ft narrow gauge railroad that operated in Colorado in the western United States in the late 19th century. The railroad opened up the first rail routes to a large section of the central Colorado mining district in the decades of the mineral boom. The railroad took its name from the fact that its main line from Denver ascended the Platte Canyon and traversed South Park, hence its popular name "The South Park Line." Despite its lofty goals, the line never connected itself with the Pacific or any transcontinental line, apart from its terminal at Denver Union Station.
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, often abbreviated as the D&SNG, is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railroad that operates on 45.2 miles (72.7 km) of track between Durango and Silverton, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The railway is a federally-designated National Historic Landmark and was also designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1968.
The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum. The museum is located on 15 acres (6.1 ha) at a point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains in Golden, Colorado.
The Denver Tramway, operating in Denver, Colorado, was a streetcar system incorporated in 1886. The tramway was unusual for a number of reasons: the term "tramway" is generally not used in the United States, and it is not known why the company was named as such. The track was 3 ft 6 in narrow gauge, an unusual gauge in the United States, but in general use by railways in Japan, southern Africa, New Zealand, and Queensland, Australia.
There are more than 1,500 properties and historic districts in the U.S. State of Colorado listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are distributed over 63 of Colorado's 64 counties; only the City and County of Broomfield currently has none.
David Halliday Moffat was an American financier and industrialist, who was one of the original pioneers of Denver, Colorado.
The Midland Terminal Railway was a short line terminal railroad running from the Colorado Midland Railway near Divide to Cripple Creek, Colorado. The railroad made its last run in February 1949.
The Denver Trolley, formerly known as the Platte Valley Trolley, is a heritage streetcar line in Denver, Colorado, operated by the Denver Tramway Heritage Society. It began service on July 1, 1989.
The Colorado and Southern Railway was an American Class I railroad in the western United States that operated independently from 1898 to 1908, then as part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad until it was absorbed into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1981.
Standard gauge was favored for railway construction in the United States, although a fairly large narrow-gauge system developed in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Utah. Isolated narrow-gauge lines were built in many areas to minimize construction costs for industrial transport or resort access, and some of these lines offered common carrier service. Outside Colorado, these isolated lines evolved into regional narrow-gauge systems in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Hawaii, and Alaska.
The Utah Division of the former Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) is a rail line that connects Grand Junction, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah in the Western United States. It is now incorporated into the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) system as part of the Central Corridor. The modern Union Pacific has split the line into two subdivisions for operational purposes, the Green River Subdivision between Grand Junction and Helper, Utah and the Provo Subdivision from Helper to Salt Lake City. Daily passenger service is provided by Amtrak's California Zephyr; the BNSF Railway and Utah Railway have trackage rights over the line.
The Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad (F&CC) was a 3 ft narrow-gauge railroad running northward from junctions with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad at the mill towns of Florence and later moved to Cañon City, Colorado, on the banks of the Arkansas River, up steep and narrow Phantom Canyon to the Cripple Creek Mining District, west of Pikes Peak. It was founded in 1893 and went out of business in 1915.
The Colorado Springs and Interurban Railway was an electric trolley system in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area that operated from 1902 to 1932. The company was formed when Winfield Scott Stratton purchased Colorado Springs Rapid Transit Railway in 1901 and consolidated it in 1902 with the Colorado Springs & Suburban Railway Company. It operated in Colorado Springs, its suburbs, and Manitou Springs. One of the street cars from Stratton's first order is listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.