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Hanging Bridge

ROYAL GORGE, COLORADO
Post Card courtesy
of Don Bailey		 Photo Credit:
Patrick Crawford		 Photo Credit:
Patrick Crawford		 Visit the
Royal Gorge Route!

During the infamous "Royal Gorge War" in the late 1880s, the Hanging Bridge built by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, became the stand-off point between the rival Denver & Rio Grande and Santa Fe. D&RG Chief Engineer Jacques DeRemer, built a fortification west of Hanging Bridge to become known later as "DeRemers's Fort", where D&RG railroad men took up guns to hold off the Santa Fe construction crew and gun fighters such as Bat Masterson, hired by the Santa Fe, where there was only room for one grade for one railroad. In fact, the gorge was so narrow that Hanging Bridge earned it's name as it was built suspended from girders which were mounted to the walls of the gorge, to span the canyon.

Fortunately with a lot of shooting and no one actually getting hurt, General Palmer eventually won the court battle in the famous "Treaty of Boston", where the D&RG acquired the trackage through the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas (or Royal Gorge), but at the cost of not building south to Santa Fe, forever changing the destiny of the D&RG.



STATION
Elev. (ft)		 STATION
No.		 Miles
from
Denver		 Telegraph
Calls		 DIVISION DISTRICT
or BRANCH		 Mainline
Prototype/
Modeled		 Sidings
Prototype/
Modeled
GORGE
El 5494 ft		 165 164.76 HG FIRST SECOND
(PUEBLO - SALIDA)		 TBD/
SG: 10'		 TBD/
SG: 0'

FACILITIES

  • Depot (through WWI, approximately)
  • Coaling bin
  • Suspended bridge



    MODELING

  • The Hanging Bridge (scratchbuilt) was modeled roughly 1/3 of it's actual length, and altered slightly to retain it's appearance.
  • The Depot (scratchbuilt) at Hanging Bridge was still present as late as 1915 in photographs, and doubtful it would still be used during the late 1920s; however, it is modeled (without siding) as a modeling libertation.
    • Depot
    (Scratchbuilt-GaryM)
    Photo: GaryM
    Feb 2007    		 British soldiers
    on tour
    Photo: GaryM
    Feb 2007    		 Arkansas River
    Overlook
    Photo: GaryM
    Feb 2007    		 Hanging Bridge
    (Scratchbuilt-Hal)
    Photo: GaryM
    Oct 2000    		 Early Installation
    Photo: GaryM
    Oct 2000

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    This page last modified 22 June 2008.