After the buffet breakfast, Elizabeth and I attended the membership meeting which lasted until 8:30 then the buses arrived.
Pikes Peak on the way to Canõn City as seen through the bus windows. Our first stop was the Royal Gorge Route shops, something extra for conference attendees.
The railroad's building across the road is covered with a variety of petrol company and Americana signs.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad SD40-3 603, ex. Escalante Western 3, exx. Baltimore and Ohio 7599, nee Baltimore and Ohio 7499, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1969.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad F7B 1503, nee Alaska Railroad 1503, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad steam generator car 15462, ex. VIA Rail 15462, nee Canadian National 14462, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1958.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad F7A 402, nee Chicago and North Western 4075A, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1949.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy dome-lounge-open end observation car "Sierra Hotel" PPCX 800275, ex. Golden Arrow lease fleet, exx. Vandalia Railroad Club 1987, exxx. Amtrak 9811, exxxx. Burlington Northern 803, exxxxxx. Burlington Northern 251, nee Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 241, built by Budd Company in 1948. It was acquired by Royal Gorge Route in 2021.
Interior of the car.
View from the dome.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad GP40-2 728, ex. Virginia Rail Express V22, exx. CSX GP40 6648, exxx. Seaboard GP40 6648, nee Atlanta and West Point 728, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1969.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad SD40-3 602, ex. Escalante Western 2, Baltimore and Ohio 7598, nee Baltimore and Ohio 7498, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1969. It is the motive power for the Royal Gorge Express train at Christmas and was put into operation in 2023.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad generator car "Doc Holliday", ex. VIA Rail 9618, exx. Canadian National, nee Canadian National 9238, built by National Steel Car in 1955.
Inside the shops, we found club-galley 5581 "Theodore Roosevelt", ex. Canadian National 1971, exx. Canadian National 650 "Club St. Denis", converted from Canadian National 34-seat parlour car 583 "Lake Chapleau", built by Pullman-Standard in 1954.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad F7A 403, nee Chicago and North Western 4079C, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1949.
Everyone then reboarded the bus for the short ride to the Santa Fe Canõn City station. Tickets were distributed as everyone exited the bus.
Royal Gorge HistoryIn the late 1870s, miners descended on the upper Arkansas River valley of Colorado in search of carbonate ores rich in lead and silver. The feverish mining activity in what would become the Leadville district attracted the attention of both the Rio Grande and Santa Fe railroads, each already having tracks in the Arkansas valley. The Santa Fe had tracks in Pueblo and the D&RG had tracks near Canon City, Colorado, some 35 miles west. Leadville was over 100 miles away through the "Grand Canyon of the Arkansas," a mountain valley 50 miles in length at a consistent and railroad-friendly water grade of one per cent.
For two railroads to occupy a river valley is not a problem in principle, however, west of Cañon City the Arkansas River cuts through the Royal Gorge, a high plateau of igneous rocks forming a spectacular steep-walled gorge over 1,000 feet deep and 6 miles long. At its narrowest point sheer walls on both sides plunge into the river, creating a nearly impassable barrier. So on this route, two railroads could not share the valley.
On April 19, 1878, a construction crew from the Santa Fe's proxy Canon City and San Juan Railroad, hastily assembled from sympathetic local citizens, began grading for a railroad line just west of Canon City in the mouth of the gorge. The Rio Grande, whose track ended 0.75 miles from downtown Canon City, raced crews to the same area, but they were blocked by Santa Fe graders in the narrow canyon. By a few hours they had lost the first round in what became a two-year struggle between the two railroads that would be known as the Royal Gorge War. Temporary injunctions forbidding further construction were filed in the Colorado courts and soon moved to the federal courts, each company claiming prior right to use of the gorge.
Royal Gorge War
On August 23, 1878, the United States Circuit Court for the District of Colorado found in favor of the Santa Fe and its proxy, the Canon City and San Juan Company, allowing construction of a railroad through the first 20 miles of the 50 miles long canyon, which includes the Royal Gorge. The Rio Grande was given secondary rights to lay track provided such did not interfere with Santa Fe interests, and it was given rights to use Santa Fe tracks where the gorge was too narrow to construct its own line.
The Rio Grande promptly appealed the decision to the United States Supreme Court and immediately began work to finish a line in the upper 30 miles of the canyon. The Santa Fe opposed this move by attempting to lay track in the upper canyon for its subsidiary Pueblo and Arkansas Valley Railroad Santa Fe resorted to its larger corporate power and announced it would build standard gauge tracks parallel to and in competition with all existing narrow gauge D&RG lines. The bondholders of the D&RG, fearing financial ruin from this threat, pressured Rio Grande management to lease the existing railroad to the Santa Fe.
An end to the struggle appeared to be at hand when the companies reached agreement on the proposed lease to all of the D&RG tracks, equipment, buildings and employees to AT&SF for a 30-year period. The Santa Fe thus gained access to Denver in competition with its transcontinental rivals, the Union Pacific and Kansas Pacific Railroads. The lease went into effect on December 13, 1878 and the Santa Fe soon increased freight rates south of Denver to favor shipping to southern Colorado over its lines to the east, to the detriment of Denver merchants using the leased D&RG lines. By March 1879, with allegations that all of its provisions were being violated by the Santa Fe, the Rio Grande sought to break the lease.
During this period, Santa Fe moved to finish construction of the railroad through the gorge itself while the Rio Grande continued construction in areas in the canyon west of the gorge. Grading crews of both companies were harassed by rocks rolled down on them, tools thrown in the river and other acts of sabotage. Both sides began assembling armed groups of men again to seize and hold strategic points in the gorge in anticipation of a favorable judgment by the Supreme Court. Rio Grande crews built 17 stone "forts" (such as "Fort DeRemer" at Spike Buck near Texas Creek, Colorado) to block the encroachments and keep the CC&SJ crews bottled up in the gorge.
After months of shrinking earnings from their leased railroad, Rio Grande management went to court to break the lease. While lawyers argued their case before the court, armed men hired by Santa Fe took control of Rio Grande stations from Denver to Cañon City, led by Bat Masterson, the sheriff of Ford County, Kansas at the time, ostensibly hired to assemble a "posse" to defend their interests. Masterson enlisted the help of Doc Holliday to assemble 33 recruits, among them the notorious gunfighters “Dirty” Dave Rudabaugh, Josh Webb, Ben Thompson, and "Mysterious" Dave Mather. On April 21, 1879, the Supreme Court granted the D&RG the primary right to build through the gorge on the basis that the lower courts had erred in not recognizing that it had been granted prior right to use of the entire 50-miles in 1872 by an Act of Congress. Masterson's posse returned to Kansas but the validity of the lease remained an issue to be settled.
In early June 1879, when it appeared the issue was about to be resolved in favor of the Rio Grande, Masterson hurriedly returned by special train with 60 men, taking up a key position at the defensible Santa Fe roundhouse in Pueblo. An injunction on June 10, 1879, from a local court restraining the Santa Fe from operating on Rio Grande track sparked an armed retaking of their railroad the next day by Rio Grande crews. Robert F. Weitbrec, former construction oreman and now treasurer of the company, and chief engineer John A. McMurtrie brought 100 men to Pueblo. They met with Pueblo County Sheriff Henly R. Price and Town Marshal Pat Desmond on the best means to serve the writ and dispossess Masterson's men of the roundhouse. Weitbrec suggested they "borrow" a cannon from the state armory only to find that Masterson had already taken it and reportedly trained it from the roundhouse down the street approach. McMurtrie and Desmond gathered 50 Rio Grande men in front of the Victoria Hotel and distributed rifles and ammunition. They marched to the railroad platform, broke down the door to the telegraph office, and when shots were fired, Masterson's men fled through the back windows, cutting him off from any communication with his employers. Supposedly when confronted with the re-borrowed cannon, Masterson's men surrendered the roundhouse.
Despite accounts in partisan secondary sources reporting deaths at the hands of the rival company's men, there is no reliable proof that anyone was actually killed. The federal courts forced the D&RG to return the property it had illegally seized and ordered it into receivership. However in the fall of 1879 railroad "robber baron" Jay Gould of the Kansas Pacific Railroad loaned the D&RG $400,000, bought a 50% interest in the company and announced the intention of completing a rail line from St. Louis to Pueblo to compete with the Santa Fe.
After the Royal Gorge WarIn the end, the warring companies settled out of court. On March 27, 1880, the two railroads signed what was called the "Treaty of Boston" (Boston being the corporate home of the Santa Fe) which ended all litigation and gave the D&RG back its railroad. The D&RG paid the Santa Fe $1.8 million (which included a $400,000 "bonus" over actual costs) for the railroad it had built in the gorge, the grading it had completed, materials on hand, and interest. Gould's plans for competitive lines and a proposed line through Raton Pass southward into New Mexico, were cancelled by the Rio Grande. D&RG construction resumed, and rails reached Leadville on July 20, 1880.
Passenger train service began in 1880 and continued through 1967. Rio Grande continued freight service through the gorge as part of their Tennessee Pass subdivision until 1989, when the company merged with the Southern Pacific Railroad, and the Southern Pacific name took control of the gorge line. In 1996, the combined company was merged into the systems of the Union Pacific Railroad. The year after Union Pacific purchased Southern Pacific and Rio Grande, the railroad closed the Tennessee Pass line, including the gorge segment.
In 1997, Union Pacific was persuaded to sell the 12 miles of track through the Royal Gorge in an effort to preserve this scenic route. Two new corporations, the Cañon City & Royal Gorge Railroad and Rock & Rail, Inc., joined together to form Royal Gorge Express, LLC, to purchase the line. Passenger service on the new Royal Gorge Route Railroad began in May 1999, and are controlled by the Rock & Rail Railroad. Train movements from Pueblo to Canon City on the Tennessee Pass are controlled by the Union Pacific’s Harriman Dispatching Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
A highlight of the gorge route is the 1879 hanging bridge located along the north side where the gorge narrows to 30 feet and the sheer rocks walls plunge into the river. Designed by Kansas engineer C. Shallor Smith and built by Santa Fe construction engineer A.A. Robinson for $11,759, the bridge consists of a 175-foot plate girder suspended on one side under A-frame girders that span the river and are anchored to the rock walls. Strengthened over the years, the bridge remains in service today Royal Gorge Route Today. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad operates trains year-round through the Royal Gorge from Canon City, Colorado to the western terminus in Parkdale, Colorado. The train is a destination attraction that carries passengers under the Royal Gorge suspension bridge.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad SD40-3 601, ex. Escalante Western 601, exx. Escalante Western 1, exxx. Baltimore and Ohio 7597. nee Baltimore and Ohio 7497, built by Electro Motive Division in 1969.
The Happy Endings Caboose Café is really Great Western Railway 1006, built in 1924.
The two buses that brought us here. We then waited to board the train and Elizabeth purchased a Christmas ornament from the gift shop.
Once underway, the mine train at the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility was very visible.
Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility.
Canõn City siding.
Today our route was partially snow-covered, which was a first for the two of us. We both spent most of the time out in the open car.
The gorge started to deepen.
Looking back at Canõn City.
Looking back to Canõn City siding.
Curving into the gorge.
A dam diverted into a channel.
Rounding another curve.
Looking back our train.
The south canyon walls were dusted with snow.
Another view looking back.
Advancing deeper into the gorge.
Snow along the Arkansas River.
Running deeper into the gorge.
Looking both ways at our train
Frozen ice along this river.
Curving into the Royal Gorge.
The outline of the Royal Gorge Route Railroad on this former Canadian National coach converted to an open car.
Two views ahead.
The rear of our excursion train.
The Arkansas River, which originates high in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains near Leadville, Colorado and ends in eastern Arkansas at the confluence with the Mississippi River where the town of Napoleon (Desha County) once stood. It is 1,460 miles long and flows across three states before making its way into Arkansas. The Arkansas River is the second-longest tributary in the Mississippi-Missouri river system, the sixth-longest river in the United States and the forty-fifth longest river in the world. Three major cities are situated along the banks of this river that drains nearly 160,500 square miles of land: Wichita, Kansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Little Rock (Pulaski County).
Known to early French explorers as "Riviere des Ark" or "Riviere d'Ozark" and to early Spanish explorers as "Rio Napestie", it eventually derived its present-day name from the Quapaw, who lived and hunted along its banks. The name "Arkansas", which had applied only to the lower reaches of the stream, was carried westward by American traders and trappers. Hernando de Soto became the first European to explore the river on his journey to the American Southwest in 1541. More than 100 years later, French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette reached the mouth of the Arkansas River. In 1686, Henri de Tonti established Arkansas Post, the first and most significant European settlement in Arkansas. This important historic site is located near the mouth of the Arkansas River in southeastern Arkansas.
The Arkansas River has played an important role in western expansion. Early explorers such as Zebulon Pike followed it westward. The river served as the boundary between the United States and Mexico from 1820 to 1846, and the Santa Fe Trail followed the Arkansas River through much of Kansas.
The destination of the Royal Gorge Route's Santa Express train.
Our train in the gorge.
The rear of our train.
The frozen river.
Awe-inpsiring scenery abounded and the dusting of snow gave a completely different effect.
The view ahead.
Looking up, one can see the old aquaduct system.
The partially ice-covered river, a first for us since the other times we had ridden were in the spring and summer.
Rounding another curve.
The suspension bridge came into view.
A green signal that our locomotive passed.
Rounding a curve to be under the bridge.
Rounding another curve.
The Royal Gorge suspension bridge.
A frozen waterfall.
The Royal Gorge suspension bridge, the world's highest, was completed in 1929 and is 1,053 feet above the tracks. It spans 1,260 feet from rim to rim of the Royal Gorge, suspending 956 above the Arkansas River. A team of about 80 hardy men braved the heights and built the Royal Gorge Bridge, beginning June 5th, 1929. In just seven months, the men finished this engineering feat. The Royal Gorge Bridge opened to visitors for the first time on December 8th, 1929.
The story of building the Royal Gorge Bridge is one of American ingenuity, hard work and solid engineering. The vision of a bridge spanning rim to rim over the Royal Gorge was dreamed by Lon Piper, a businessman and bridge builder from San Antonio, Texas, when he visited the Royal Gorge in 1928. Lon Piper imagined the bridge to give anyone who crosses it the chance to see the stunning scenery of the Royal Gorge Region. Engineer George E. Cole worked many times with Lon Piper and became Chief Engineer and General Superintendent for what would be the world’s highest suspension bridge for more than seven decades.
A highlight of the gorge route is the 1879 hanging bridge located along the north side where the gorge narrows to 30 feet and the sheer rocks walls plunge into the river. Designed by Kansas engineer C. Shallor Smith and built by Santa Fe construction engineer A.A. Robinson for $11,759, the bridge consists of a 175-foot plate girder suspended on one side under A-frame girders that span the river and are anchored to the rock walls. Strengthened over the years, the bridge remains in service today.
The Royal Gorge suspension bridge once more.
Deeper into the gorge.
A last view of the suspension bridge.
Rounding another curve.
A flume carrying water across the track.
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A trio of views looking back.
Ice on the river.
Travelling through the scenic Royal Gorge.
Looking behind.
The old irrigation project.
Our train was dwarfed by the high gorge cliffs.
The partially-frozen Arkansas River.
Making our way through the gorge.
The rear view.
Looking both ways.
Part of the Canõn City water diversion system.
Abandoned buildings in the gorge.
Proceeding towards Parkdale.
The view behind our train.
The upper Canõn City water diversion system.
A boulder stands guard surrounded by ice while the river flows by.
Fore and aft scenes.
The sun shone briefly as we neared the western end of the gorge.
The rear of our train.
Ice on the river.
The gorge and the excursion train.
The river has many bends in it as it traverses through the Royal Gorge.
It is usual to see whitewater rafters on the river during a trip but since it was only in the 50's and January, it was not surprising that no rafters were seen today.
A lone tree along our route.
While most of the river was free-flowing, there was ice along its banks which added to the vista that everyone on board enjoyed.
Dome cars are always a joy to see and ride and to have six on one train is unique to the Royal Gorge Route.
The United States Highway 50 bridge at the west end of the Royal Gorge.
We arrived at Parkdale.
The rear of our train at its destination.
Along the Arkansas River at Parkdale.
Waiting for a green signal.
After receiving the green signal, we started the journey back to Canõn City.
The Arkansas River.
We returned underneath the Highway 50 bridge seen in the distance.
This is where the whitewater rafts are launched into the Arkansas River.
Elizabeth and I walked to the front of the train and were allowed into the engineer's compartment as we passed the slide detector fence.
The views were incredible.
Approaching the water crossing over the track.
The Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge then came into view.
The Hanging Bridge.
The location of the former funicular railway that I once rode in to the bottom of the canyon. We then returned to our open car.
The suspension bridge across the Royal Gorge.
The destination of the Royal Gorge Route's Santa Express train. Soon our excursion was over and we were back in Canõn City and as we detrained, Elizabeth photographed the consist and the pictures below are hers.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad SD40-3 601, ex. Escalante Western 601, exx. Escalante Western 1, exxx. Baltimore and Ohio 7597. nee Baltimore and Ohio 7497, built by Electro Motive Division in 1969.
CRRX (Canõn City and Royal Gorge) baggage car 8001, ex. Southern Pacific Maintenance-of-way 7149, exx. Southern Pacific Maintenance-of-way 6746, nee Southern Pacific 6769, built by Pacific Car and Foundry in 1962.
CRRX dome-lounge 512 "Canyon Vista", ex. San Luis and Rio Grande 512 "Tanana", exx. Holland America-Westours 512, exxx. New York, Susquehanna and Western, exxxx. Auto Train 541, nee Santa Fe 512 built by Budd Company in 1954.
Interior of "Canyon Vista".
CRRX dome car 50 "Oro Vista", ex. Westours 50 "Kenai", exx. Amtrak 9310, exxx. Princess 800482, exxxx. Tour Alaska 7092, exxxxx. VIA 2700, exxxxxx. Canadian National 2400, nee Milwaukee Road 50:2, built by Pullman-Standard in 1952.
Interior of "Oro Vista".
CRRX coach 5586 "Fremont", ex. VIA 5586, nee Canadian National 80-seat coach 5586, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
CRRX coach-snack bar 3235 "William Jackson Palmer", ex. VIA 3235 1982, nee Canadian National 80 seat coach 5597, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
Interior of "William Jackson Palmer".
CRRX coach 3250 "William B. Strong", ex. VIA coach-snack bar 3250 1983, nee Canadian National 80 seat coach 5587, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
Interior of "William B. Strong".
CRRX open car 3214 "Sangre de Cristo", ex. VIA coach-snack bar 3214, nee Canadian National 80 seat coach 5552, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
Interior of "Sangre de Cristo."
CRRX coach 5497 "Phantom Canyon", nee Canadian National 80 seat coach 5497, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
Interior of "Phantom Canyon".
CRRX dome-lounge 513 "Grande Vista", ex. Mount Hood Railroad "Columbia View", exx. Holland America-Westours 513, exxx. New York, Susquehanna and Western 501, exxxx. Auto Train 524, nee Santa Fe 513, built by Budd Company in 1954.
Interior of "Grande Vista".
CRRX Super Dome 56 "Rio Vista", ex. Holland America 56 "Knik", exx. Amtrak 9312, exxx. P&O Princess Cruises, exxxx. Tour Alaska TAIX 7091 "Mt. Susitna", exxxxx. Great Western Tours, exxxxxx. VIA 2703, exxxxxxx. Canadian National 2703 "Fraser", exxxxxxxx. Canadian National 2403, nee Milwaukee Road 56 built by Pullman-Standard in 1952.
Interior of "Rio Vista.
CRRX open car 3225 "Silver Cliff", nee Canadian National xxxx, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
The outside area of "Silver Cliff".
CRRX coach 5580 "Spikebuck", nee Canadian National 80 seat coach 5580, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
Interior of "Spikebuck".
CRRX dome 507 "Monte Vista", ex. Alaska Rail Tours, exx. Westours "Susitna", exxx. Auto Train 540, nee Santa Fe 507, built by Budd Company in 1954.
Interior of "Monte Vista".
CRRX coach 2510 "Sunshine Falls", ex. Canadian National cafe-lounge 2510, exx coach-cafe 3011, nee Canadian National 80 seat coach 5534, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
Heritage of Royal Gorge Route coaches.
Interior of "Sunshine Falls".
CRRX coach 5562 "Penrose", ex. VIA Rail 5562, nee Canadian National 80 seat coach 5562, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
CRRX dome 553 "Buena Vista", ex. Westours 553 "Kashwitna", exx. New York Susquehanna and Western 502, exxxx. Auto Train 515, nee Santa Fe 553, built by the Budd Company in 1954.
CRRX open car 4011 "Leah Jean", ex. VIA xxxx, nee Canadian National 80 seat coach xxxx built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.
After a most enjoyable excursion in mild 50 degree temperatures, which plummeted the next day, there was time to visit the gift shop before being driven back to the Courtyard Inn by Marriott in Pueblo.
From the bus, Denver and Rio Grande Western station built in 1878. It was the Bank of the San Juans but is currently up for sale. That evening, shuttle buses took conference attendees to Union Depot for a buffet dinner, a fund- raiser for the Fuerhing Fund for Future Leaders. We then returned to the hotel for the night.
1/18/2025 Today was seminar day. Elizabeth attended "So You Want to Host A Conference", we both went to "Federal Updates, FRA and Amtrak presentations" and "Battle of The Toilets" then Elizabeth also attended "Time Study of Amtrak's Southwest Chief". That evening was the banquet with keynote speaker Bradley J. Swartzwelter on his career in transportation as a Burlington Northern and Amtrak conductor and his work as an author, promoting his vision of a future path for Amtrak.
1/19/2025 We were in the audience for "Slumbercoach Dissection" and "Tales of PV Ownership and Life on the Road" seminars. With that, the conference was over for Elizabeth and I since we were not going on the Pikes Peak excursion the next morning. We went to an early dinner at Cracker Barrel with Dawn Holmberg, Dan Meyer and John Goodman then returned to the hotel for the rest of the evening.
It had been a most informative and pleasant conference and as with the three we have attended to date, included unique trips in which one could not generally partake.
1/20/2025 We arose and after breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, we drove to the Colorado-Kansas border and stopped for pictures.
Welcome to Kansas.
Leaving Colorful Colorado. We drove to Hutchinson, Kansas and switched drivers a couple of times.
Near Hutchinson we came across Webb Asset Management GP35-3 3529, ex. South Kansas and Oklahoma 6628, exx. SKOL 3529, nee Southern Pacific 6628, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1965.
The sunset to our west was quite the sight. We went to Jimmy John's for dinner then checked into the Holiday Inn Express for the night.
1/21/2025 Elizabeth took us to The International House of Pancakes, I drove to the rest area on Interstate 35 and Elizabeth drove the remainder of the miles home. It was certainly good to be home but we had had a most enjoyable and informative Railroad Passenger Car Alliance conference.
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