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The railroad reached Durango in 1881, with a branch built north to Silverton by
1882. With an increasing amount of agricultural commodities being hauled out of the
area and onto the national standard-gauge rail network, in 1901 the section from
Alamosa to Antonito was converted to a three-track dual gauge, allowing both 4 ft 8
1/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge and narrow gauge to run.[1] This was followed by a
standard-gauge branch south to Farmington, New Mexico, built in 1902, which was
converted to 3 ft (914 mm) gauge in 1923. The line subsisted on ore from the
Silverton branch, and other general freight such as lumber and agricultural
products through the early 1950s. The line was part of a larger "narrow gauge
circle" that began to be abandoned piecemeal beginning with the closure of a
section of the circle between Montrose and Cimarron Colorado. The line experienced
an unexpected "boom" in traffic beginning in the early 1950s. Farmington in that
period received as much freight, and in fact, more freight/revenue than any other
location in the D&RGW system. This boom provided necessary revenue to keep the line
operating, albeit with steam locomotives and wooden cars, through the end of the
1960s. At which time it was recognized that it was one of the last locations in the
United States where steam locomotives were still used. This brought recognition
that some portion of the line should be preserved as a museum or heritage railway.
In 1970, after the narrow-gauge portions of the line were completely abandoned, the
Antonito�Alamosa section was converted again, to a traditional 2-rail standard-
gauge line, becoming the last 3-rail portion of the D&RGW system to be eliminated.
See also
Rio Grande Southern � An extension to this rail line that was operated as a
separate company
References
Narrow Gauge Memories - Alamosa to Chama
Categories: Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad3 ft gauge railways in the United
States
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