Dates - Rail related:

Last updated: 17 August, 2024 9:29

Most of the info here is from the book: Colorado Railroads - Chronological Development, by Tivis E. Wilkins, but other sources and books has been consulted too. I'm very grateful for the work that was put into that particular book in the first place, it was very helpful as a starting point.

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• 1871, and the first track reaches my area of interest. (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & Rio Grande builds a 3' narrow gauge line south from Denver to the new town of Colorado Springs.
    • It was completed to Colorado Springs on 21 October 1871, and on the 26 October a special train for newsmen marked the official opening.
      Regular service began on the 1st of January 1872, which was the date of acceptance from the construction company.
      Length of track was 75,5 miles.
• 1872 (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & Rio Grande continues from Colorado Springs to Pueblo and then to Labran (later Florence).
    • Pueblo was reached 15 June, and Labran/Florence had it's tracks completed on the 15th of October. There where also tracks from south of Labran/Florence to coal banks in a place called Coal Creek.
      Length of this was 44,1 + 32,8 + 2,6 miles -> 79,5 miles.
• 1874 (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & Rio Grande extends it's NG line from Labran/Florence to Canon City, completed on 6th of July. (8,4 miles)
• 1879 (back to dates/top)
  • Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe seams to somehow have manage to get to Canon City [I never found a record of it happen, so no knowledge when they came to Canon City.] because this year they build a 3' NG line from Canon City through Royal Gorge to a point near Texas Creek.
    • Construction was by two subsidiary companies - the Canon City & San Juan, who started the construction work, and the Pueblo & Arkansas Valley. The later absorbed the former company and completed the line on 16th of June.
      Later the track was conveyed over to the D&RG in settlement of a dispute over the route through the Royal Gorge.
      Length of track was 22,3 miles.
• 1880 (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & Rio Grande builds the Manitou Branch.
    • This 3' NG branch goes from Colorado Springs to Manitou (Springs), and was completed and opened for traffic on 31 July.
      Length of track was 5,1 miles.
  • Denver & Rio Grande extends the Coal Creek Branch.
    • This 3' NG branch is extended to Coal Creek Mine No. 2
      Length of track was 0,6 miles.
• 1881 (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & Rio Grande builds the Chandler Branch.
    • This 3' NG is built from Chandler Junction on the main line west of Florence, and south to the end of track.
      This short stub was opened for traffic on 20th of November.
      Length of track was 0,4 miles.
  • Denver & Rio Grande builds the Oak Creek Branch.
    • This 3' NG is built from Oak Creek Junction on the main line west of Florence, and south to the mines.
      Track laying was completed on 20th of November, and line open for coal trains on 1st of December.
      Length of track was 2,6 miles.
  • Denver & Rio Grande changes from 3' NG to dual gauge on the line from Denver to Pueblo.
• 1882 (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & New Orleans reaches Colorado Springs.
    • The track was completed to a temporary depot about 5th of December, and on the 10th a large crowd of Colorado Springs citizens saw the arrival of the first passenger train on that branch.
• 1886 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Midland is starting to build it's line.
    • This is the start of the first standard gauge line to penetrate the mountains of Colorado, and they did it by building a line from the Denver & Rio Grande interchange at Colorado Springs to a point 1,7 miles west of Colorado City.
      Length of track was 3 miles.
• 1887(back to dates/top)
  • Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe builds a line from Pueblo to Denver.
    • Constructed under the title Denver & Santa Fe Railway Company, and leased to it's parent company upon completion - and from 1st of January 1900 merged into the corporate structure of AT&SF.
      Length of track was 116,4 miles.
  • Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe also builds a branch from Clelland to Canon City (finally...)
    • On 28th of October was the tracklayers at Canon City
      Length of track was 6,8 miles.
  • Denver & Rio Grande changes from 3' NG to dual gauge on the line from Pueblo to Florence, which also includes the Coal Creek Branch.
  • Colorado Midland is continuing building.
    • Starting from the railhead 1,7 miles west of Colorado City they ran the line westward up Ute Pass, bypassing a route already made out by another company.
      By last day of august the rails reached Leadville with operation to that point inaugurated by September 3.
      Length of track was 216,5 miles.
• 1888 (back to dates/top)
  • Chicago Rock Island & Pacific completed a line from the border with Kansas to a connection with D&RG at Roswell - just north of Colorado Springs.
    • And by October the 15th there where a daily train between Colorado Springs and Goodland, Kansas - using the D&RG station in Colorado Springs.
      Length of track was 177 miles
  • Denver & Rio Grande changes from 3' NG to dual gauge on the line from Florence to Canon City, and on the Colorado Springs to Manitou Branch.
• 1890 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Springs Rapid Transit (Colorado Springs & Suburban from 1901 and Colorado Springs & Interurban from 1902) starts to build an standard gauge electric line.
    • From Tejon Street in Colorado Springs it went west on Colorado Avenue through Colorado City and then over a private right of way to the D&RG depot in Manitou.
      Length of track was 5,2 miles.
      The line went over a 42-inch horse car railway to Colorado City which was completed by the Colorado Springs & Manitou Railway Company in 1888. In early 1890 that company was consolidated with the El Paso Rapid Transit Company to form the Colorado Springs Rapid Transit Company, which dismantled the horse car line and replaced it with the standard gauge electric line and extended it to Manitou.
  • Denver & Rio Grande changes from 3' NG to dual gauge on the line from Canon City to Salida.
  • Manitou & Pikes Peak builds a standard gauge line to top of Pikes Peak.
    • This is a cog road, starting at the depot in Manitou this rack and pinion railroad climbed more then 7500 feet so it could reach the 14109 foot high summit of the peak.
      The last spike was driven on the 22 of October, but regular schedule trains did not run until the spring of 1891.
• 1893 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Springs Rapid Transit.
    • The standard gauge line get extended from the Denver & Rio Grande depot in Manitou and west to a new terminal in Manitou's business district
      Length of track was 0,7 miles.
  • Midland Terminal (finally a Cripple Creek railroad... )
    • A standard gauge line that was to be built from a connection with Colorado Midland at Divide and south to the Cripple Creek gold mining district.
      The first part was completed to Midland on the 9th of December.
      Length of track was 7,1 miles.
• 1894 (back to dates/top)
  • Florence & Cripple Creek builds a 3' narrow gauge line between the two towns.
    • This was the first of 3 railroads to reach the town of Cripple Creek. The route of the line made the rails cross the Arkansas River a short distance north of Florence and then continue north along an arroyo to the mouth of the Phantom Canon. The line then followed the main water course for some 19 miles before taking a slight detour around a loop and crossing back on the other before climbing up a hill/mountain and looping that again before ending up at the water course again much higher up (the famous Wilbur Loop) and continue on it's route north towards the Cripple Creek District.
      The track to Cripple Creek was completed by 30th of June, and on the same date an engine with eight construction cars pulled into the town.
      Next day saw the start of the passenger service, and soon thereafter the first accident...
      Length of track was 40,3 miles.
  • Midland Terminal reaches the District.
    • The standard gauge line completes the track from Midland to the town of Gillette on the 4th of July - and for the next 4,5 months this was the transfer point for the Cripple Creek traffic.
      Length of track was 7,3 miles.
    • By December the 16th the track had reached the Portland Mine a little north of Victor and a temporary station was established for the accommodation of passenger to Victor and freight, just below the Portland Mine shaft house.
      This date saw also the arrival of the first passenger train, and it marked the date when the transfer point for Cripple Creek passengers and freight got shifted from Gillette to Grassy (later Cameron).
      Length of track was 8,9 miles.
    • A spur was built south from Gillette to the El Paso Reduction Company plant some south west for the town.
      Length of track was 0,7 miles.
      Length of MT track comes to a total of 16,9 miles.
• 1895 (back to dates/top)
  • Midland Terminal continues to build in the District.
    • The standard gauge lines is extended from the Portland Mine to Victor Junction about the middle of January after a delay due to the completion of a large cut.
      Length of track was 0,8 miles.
    • Victor Branch, from Victor Junction there where a so called switchback so trains could leave the mainline here and go down the hill into the town of Victor.
      No specific date for it's completion is reported, but must have been after the 10th of March as between the 31 of January and through March 10 the Cripple Creek Morning Journal had short news items intermittently reporting about the progress and the problems of construction this switchback.
      Length of track was 0,6 miles.
    • Victor Branch gets extended to a point near the Independence Mine
      Length of track was 0,6 miles.
    • The mainline has been extended from Victor Junction to Anaconda by 9th of October, as by this date there are 3 daily passenger trains operating in and out of this town. One of them was met by a stage from Cripple Creek, but Grassy remains as a transfer point for passengers on the two other trains.
      Length of track was 2,8 miles.
    • Cripple Creek corporate limits is reached by December 19, and a temporary station was built, where a special passenger train arrived on the December 22.
      The permanent station at the east end of Bennett Avenue is used by trains early the following year.
      Length of track was 1,9 miles.
      Length of MT track comes to a total of 6,7 miles.
• 1896 (back to dates/top)
  • Golden Circle gets it's first part built. (Cripple Creek & Colorado Springs from 1915 and Midland Terminal from 1921).
    • This 3' narrow gauge railroad started from a point near the east end of the F&CC yard at Victor, then went northeasterly along the foot of Battle Mountain till it reached Goldfield.
      -> Golden Circle was organized as a separate corporation, but controlled by the F&CC, and it's intent was to serve mines on Battle Mountain and Bull Hill, north of Victor.
      The Florence & Cripple Creek suburban train service between Cripple Creek & Victor, got extended to Goldfield on 29th of November, and became a joint F&CC and GC operation.
      Length of track was 1,7 miles.
• 1897 (back to dates/top)
  • Cripple Creek District Railway, the Trolley comes to the District! (Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District from 1899).
    • This standard gauge railroad opens a trolley line from Cripple Creek to Victor.
      It started on Myers Avenue & Fifth Street in Cripple Creek, with the tracks running east up Poverty Gulch, under the Midland Terminal wye trestles. Then the line headed along a winding route up on the mountain sides to a point called Midway, elevation 10480 feet.
      This made the gain in altitude nearly a thousand feet in the little over three miles route traveled - at the steepest the grade was a stressful 7,5% for a short distance up Poverty Gulch, while much of the rest of the grade exceeded 6,5%
      From Midway it descended the slopes of Bull Hill and Battle Mountain down to Victor, a drop in altitude of around 760 feet. Around the time it was built it was claimed to be the highest electric railway in the world.
      The grade was completed to Victor by November 20, and the rails & catenary where all in place by December 1.
      Cars for the line arrived at Cripple Creek on 13th of December, trial runs where done on January first and second, while regular service began on 3rd of January 1898.
      The Victor terminal was temporarily at Fifth Street & Granite Avenue, but a permanent terminal was soon made one block south at Fifth Street & Diamond Avenue.
      In 1899 the line was purchased by the Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District Railway Company for use as a terminal property and to gain access to mines. After the transfer of title, it gained the name First Electric Division, which later was changed to High Line Electric District of the CS&CCD.
      Length of track was 6,4 miles.
  • Golden Circle extend it's 3' track.
    • The line gets extended from a point on the loop at Goldfield and southerly to it meets the main line of the Midland Terminal. The MT track was reached about September, but construction was stalled at the meeting point because the MT refused to permit GC crossing the MT track.
      This was somewhat overcome by a temporary wood trestle completed in the early morning hours of January 1, 1898.
      It was later replaced by a permanent steel structure the following May.
      Length of track was 0,5 miles.
• 1898 (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & Rio Grande changes from standard gauge to dual gauge from Chandler Junction to Fremont Mine.
    -> This change was done in order to permit F&CC narrow gauge equipment to be able to operate to the mine.
  • Golden Circle extend it's 3' track again.
    • The line is extended from the MT crossing on the east slope of Battle Mountain to the Isabella Mine.
      -> The track followed a circuitous route with maximum grades exceeding 4% along the mountains slopes, crossing the Trolley line on a bridge and ending up at the mine on the north slope of Bull Hill.
      Length of track was 3,2 miles.
    • Bull Hill Branch--Lillie Junction (later Bull Hill Junction) was also completed to the Lillie Mine between Independence and Goldfield.
      -> Lillie Junction was near the saddle between Battle Mountain and Bull Hill, 3,3 miles from Victor station.
      Length of track was 1,0 miles.
      Length of GC track comes to a total of 4,2 miles.
• 1899 (back to dates/top)
  • Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe builds the Curtis Mine Spur.
    • This is built from a siding adjacent to the main line about 3,5 miles north of the Colorado Springs station, then east to the Curtis Coal Mine.
      Length of track was 1,3 miles.
  • Canon City & Cripple Creek comes aboard with a new 3' line.
    • From Canon City east to a junction with the F&CC at Oro Junta, 6,8 miles north of Florence.
      -> The last rail was laid down by December 18, and the line was right from the start leased to the F&CC.
      The two companies, along with the Golden Circle and the Midland Terminal, where consolidated into a holding company - the Denver & Southwestern Railway Company, although each road retained its corporate identity.
      Length of track was 7,2 miles.
  • Florence & Cripple Creek builds a 3' spur near Florence.
    • A spur from Vesta Junction, 2,1 miles north of Florence, heads east and south to several ore reduction plants.
      Length of track was 1,9 miles.
  • Golden Circle extend it's 3' track yet again.
    • This time it extends from the Isabella Mine to Vista Grande (also known as Midway along the High Line of the Trolley route)
      -> This turned out to be the end of the line.
      Trains where turned here at Vista Grande on a balloon loop, the westernmost part of which was only about two hundred feet east of the Cripple Creek District Electric line.
      The last rail was spiked on the loop about middle of March, and on the 2nd of April suburban train service was extended from Goldfield to Vista Grande.
      Length of track was 0,9 miles.
    • Lillie Branch is extended to the Cripple Creek Sampler at Bull Hill as a dual gauge line.
      Length of track was 0,5 miles.
      Length of GC track comes to a total of 1,4 miles.
• 1900 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District adds to its line.
    • A new Electric line is built between Cripple Creek and Victor
      -> This standard gauge line was to come as a addition to the Cripple Creek district electric railway system already purchased by the CS&CCD in 1899.
      Construction began at Fourth Street & Warren Avenue in Cripple Creek, and followed a winding course both lower in altitude and shorter in distance than the route via Midway.
      The rails reached the terminal in Victor at Victor Avenue & Fourth Street on September the 7th, and regular services started only two days later.
      The line was first designated as the Second Electric Division, but later become the Low Line Electric District of the CS&CCD.
      Length of track was 5,1 miles.
    • The standard gauge main line from Colorado Springs came to a point near Summit.
      -> This was to be the third railroad into the Cripple Creek District originating from the outside.
      It was built along the sides of the mountains and rims of canons through the rugged country east and south of Pikes Peak. The altitude gain in the 20 miles between Colorado Springs and the railhead near Summit was about 3750 feet.
      On the 1st of September an excursion passenger train ran over the first 7 miles of this new track, all the way from Colorado Springs to a point beyond Point Sublime.
      Length of track was 20,0 miles.
• 1901 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District reaches the District!
    • The standard gauge line is extended from the railhead near Summit to Cameron.
      Length of track was 19,0 miles.
    • Then from Cameron over Hoosier Pass and down to Cripple Creek.
      -> The completion of the road was celebrated with a last spike ceremony in the Cripple Creek yard on the 23rd of March.
      A special train from Colorado Springs ran over the line the day of the ceremony, then another on March 27, while regular passenger service didn't start until April 8th.
      Length of track was 5,8 miles.
    • Victor Branch is built from Cameron to Victor.
      -> The track laying crew reached Victor on November 7, and on November 9th a train with railroad officials and invited guests aboard ran to the terminal at Second Street & Diamond Avenue.
      A regular schedule went into effect November 10th, with stub passenger trains connecting with the Cripple Creek section at Cameron.
      Length of track was 5,1 miles.
    • Portland Branch is built from what was also called Lillie Junction (later Vindicator Junction ) on the Victor Branch.
      This branch is built northwesterly through Independence thence southwesterly via the Portland Mines to the Ajax Mine.
      -> This steam branch crossed the First Electric Division line near Dyer station.
      Length of track was 2,0 miles.
    • Colorado City Branch is built from the Colorado City Junction to the ore reduction plants in same city.
      Length of track was 2,0 miles.
      Length of CS&CCD track comes to a total of 33,9 miles.
    • Mint Mine(aka Index Mine) Spur. This spur leaves the main line of the Second Electric Division (Low Line) at Alamo Junction, north of Squaw Gulch, and heads back up Gold Hill to the Ore House of the Mint Mine. It is reported being built in The Engineering and Mining Journal issue of August 3, 1901.
      -> This spur was not electrified.
      Length of track is unknown. It might have meant to be going through up to the Moon-Anchor Mine, as there is a spur up there as well that has a road going down to this spur, that might have been a grade that never got rails.
• 1902 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District expands in the District.
    • Colorado Springs yard gets connected to the AT&SF station in Colorado Springs thanks to a standard gauge spur going eastward under the mainline of the D&RG and swinging back north to the AT&SF yard.
      Length of track was 1,1 miles.
    • Eagle Sampler Spur is built. It branches of the main line at Eagle Junction, 0,3 mile north of the station in Goldfield, then heads to the Eagle Sampler on the east slope of Battle Mountain.
      Length of track was 1,1 miles.
    • Economic Mill Spur. This spur leaves the main line of the Second Electric Division (Low Line) at Economic Junction, 0,8 mile west of the Victor Terminal, and heads to the Economic Mill.
      -> This spur was not electrified.
      Length of track was 0,5 mile.
    • Altman (Midway) Branch. This branch was leaving the main line at Hoosier Pass, and went south and southeasterly to Midway.
      -> This branch later become part of the main line of the High Line in 1905.
      Length of track was 1,2 miles.
    • First Electric Division (High Line). A spur was built from Dyer Station near the saddle between Bull Hill and Battle Mountain, to a connection with the Portland Branch [built 1901], at a point thereafter known as Portland Junction.
      -> The connection was completed near the end of the year. The purpose was to provide a connection for a new route for electric cars over the steam lines between Portland Junction and the Victor terminal at Second Street & Diamond Avenue.
      Electrification of the steam lines was completed about the middle of the following February, and Trolley service over the new line began on 1st of March 1903.
      Length of track was 0,1 mile.
      Length of CS&CCD track comes to a total of 4,0 miles.
  • Denver & Rio Grande change its dual Manitou Branch to standard gauge.
  • Florence & Cripple Creek.
    • Beacon Hill Branch. This 3' NG line branches of the main line about 0,7 mile south of Anaconda, then goes southwesterly down to the El Paso Mine on the northwest slope of Beacon Hill.
      Length of track was 0,8 mile.
• 1903 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District expands once again in the District.
    • Joe Dandy Spur. This spur left the High Line at the Raven Hill Station and went a short stretch down westerly to the Joe Dandy Mine
      -> This spur was completed on October 18, and was the first of three mine spurs built from the High Line route on Bull Hill to various mines, none which was ever electrified.
      Length of track was 0,5 mile.
    • Blue Bird Spur. This spur left the main line at the Blue Bird Station along the High Line, and went southeast up the hill to the Blue Bird Mine.
      Length of track was 0,3 mile.
    • Electric Lines, Cripple Creek. Extended from the Low Line terminal at Fourth Street & Warren Avenue, north to the track of the High Line on Myers Avenue.
      Length of track was 0,1 mile.
    • Electric Lines, Cripple Creek. Extended from the High Line track on Myers, north on Second Street to Bennett Avenue.
      -> This was the beginning of a loop through the central business district of Cripple Creek.
      After two restraining orders and a change in the proposed route, the tracks and overhead wire were in place by late May.
      On June 3rd, all cars of both the High Line and Low Line began using the new terminal at Second & Bennett.
      Length of track was 0,1 mile.
    • Electric Lines, Victor. High Line route extended from the joint steam and electric terminal at Victor west along Diamond Avenue to Third Street, then south on Third one block to Victor Avenue, thence west one block to a connection with the Low Line at Fourth Street.
      -> The last rail was spiked down on July 10th, thus closing the final gap between the two electric lines. The junction become the Victor Terminal for both the High & Low Line.
      Length of track was 0,3 mile.
    • Electric Lines, Cripple Creek. The route along Cripple Creek streets extends east on Bennett Avenue up to Third Street, thereafter south on Third to the track on Myers Avenue.
      -> This section of the loop was completed in late July. From now on, Trolley cars were routed via Third Street & Bennett Avenue to the terminal at Second Street, thence via Second back to Myers Avenue.
      Length of track was 0,2 mile.
      Length of CS&CCD track comes to a total of 1,5 miles.
  • Abandonment, Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District has the first one in the District.
    • The electric line between Dyer Station and Victor is now closed down.
      -> Traffic is routed over the newly electrified steam line tracks via Independence and Goldfield, and with this eliminated the need for the steep grade along the east and south slopes of Battle Mountain. The double horseshoe curve at the Portland Mine is now history.
      Length of track was 1,4 miles.
    • The electric line between Cripple Creek and the High Line crossing No.1 (later Fairview, then Badger)
      -> The steam line was electrified from Victor Junction (later Pisgah Junction ) to accommodate the electric cars.
      This eliminated the heavier grades on the High Line up Poverty Gulch and Gold Hill.
      The changes was done by sections:
      - first the line up Poverty Gulch to the High Line Crossing No.2 near the Moon Anchor station/Mine. This change was completed in March.
      - Second change was completed after the middle of September when the line from the Crossing No.2 till Crossing No.1 was also closed down.
      With this the very steep grade and very tight curves of the original High Line up Gold Hill become history.
      Length of track was 1,9 miles.
      Length of CS&CCD track abandonment comes to a total of 3,3 miles.
• 1904 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District expands once again in the District.
    • Gold Sovereign Spur. This steam spur leaves the Los Angeles Station on the electric High Line, and goes down northerly to the Gold Sovereign and Dexter Mines.
      Length of track was 0,5 mile.
  • Florence & Cripple Creek.
    • Beacon Hill Branch. This 3' NG branch is extended from a point near the El Paso Mine and down to the Henry Adney Mine.
      -> There were five switchbacks on this extension which also served the C.K. & N and Old Gold Mines.
      Length of track was 1,6 miles.
• 1905 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District.
    • High Line Electric. Fairway to Midway.
      -> The last portion of the original electric line between Cripple Creek and Midway is now history. Early in the year the Trolley cars were rerouted over the CS&CCD main line to Hoosier Pass and from there over the Altman Branch to Midway, leaving the original stretch of track straight up to Midway not needed anymore. [I don't know why this happen, but I wonder if it had anything to do with at least one mine along the old grade needing/wanting to expand and use some open pit mining near/on the grade?]
      Length of track was 1,2 miles.
  • Abandonment, Denver & Rio Grande.
    • Oak Creek Branch. From the Oak Creek Junction at Florence to the Oak Creek Mines.
      Length of track was 2,6 miles.
• 1907 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado & Southeastern.
    • Chandler Junction on the AT&SF to D&RG Junction.
      -> This standard gauge short track, which connected the AT&SF and the D&RG coal mine branches near Florence, was 110 miles from the C&SE Barnes-Delagua trackage. It was leased and operated jointly by the D&GR and AT&SF.
      Length of track was 0,7 mile.
• 1908 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District.
    • >Economic Mill Spur.
      -> The mill had burned down last year, and the spur was no longer needed as the mill would not be rebuilt.
      Length of track was 0,5 mile.
• 1911 (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & Rio Grande change from dual gauge to standard gauge.
    • Pueblo to Florence.
    • Chandler Junction to Cleora (2 miles east of Salida).
• 1912 (back to dates/top)
  • Florence & Cripple Creek.
    • A big part of the 3' NG main line through Phantom Canon is washed out in a flash flood, making the railroad connection to the south fully broken.
      -> Still, it would take 3 more years till the line was official abandon.
• 1914 (back to dates/top)
  • Denver & Rio Grande change from dual gauge to standard gauge.
    • Florence to Chandler Junction.
    • Chandler Junction to Fremont Mine.
    • Coal Creek Branch.
• 1915 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Canon City & Cripple Creek.
    • The 3' NG line between Canon City and Oro Junta
      Length of track was 7,2 miles.
  • Abandonment, Florence & Cripple Creek.
    • The 3' NG line from Florence to Victor.
      Length of track was 34,6 miles.
    • The branch from Vesta Junction to the ore reduction mills.
      -> The operation of trains between Florence & Victor ceased already back in 1912 after a damaging flood in Phantom Canon washed out a lot of track, but the formal abandonment was delayed for three years.
      Length of track was 1,9 miles.
• 1917 (back to dates/top)
  • Cripple Creek & Colorado Springs changes the gauge of its tracks.
    • Former GC 3' NG to Standard gauge.
      -> Bull Hill Junction to Midway (Vista Grande)
    • Former GC 3' NG to Standard gauge.
      -> Bull hill Branch - from a point near the Last Dollar Mine to a point near the Vindicator Mine.
    • Former F&CC 3' NG to Standard gauge.
      -> from the switch for the Mary McKinney Mine spur on the Cripple Creek-Victor Line to the junction of the Beacon Hill Branch, thence on the Beacon Hill Branch down to the El Paso Mine.
    • Former F&CC 3' NG to Standard gauge.
      -> the narrow gauge spur to the Mary McKinney Mine, which was then connected with the MT main line at the mine.
    • Dual to Standard gauge.
      -> from near Vindicator Mine to Bull Hill (the Cripple Creek Sampler site).
      

      -> The connection at Bull Hill Junction was eliminated and the two lines were joined with a short standard gauge track north of the Last Dollar Mine.

      
      Following this conversions the line was operated with MT equipment. The two railroads were under common ownership at the time, but were separate legal entities. MT purchased outright all remaining CC&CS trackage in 1921.
  • Abandonment, Cripple Creek & Colorado Springs.
    • Former F&CC mainline, Victor to Cripple Creek, except a short section near the Mary McKinney Mine which was converted to standard gauge in order to maintain access to the El Paso Mine on Beacon Hill Branch.
      Length of track was 5,6 miles.
    • Former GC mainline, Victor to Bull Hill Junction.
      Length of track was 3,3 miles.
    • Former F&CC Beacon Hill Branch - from the El Paso Mine to the Henry Adney Mine.
      Length of track was 1,6 miles.
• 1918 (back to dates/top)
  • Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District discontinue service on its main line (The Short Line) between Colorado Springs and the Cripple Creek District in May. This service was later restored by a receiver in July 1919, but cut back to one daily tourist train between CS and Summit in May 1920. All operations stopped in September 1920. [What a sad time. ]
• 1919 (back to dates/top)
  • Following the abandonment of the Colorado Midland the trackage between Colorado Springs and Divide, and the terminal facilities at Colorado City, were sold to the Midland Terminal Railway.
  • Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District, the Trolley system in the District suffers a major blow when the Trolley barn in Cripple Creek burns down, and all the traffic is soon terminated for good. [More sad times, this was a really bad thing from my point of view as I love the idea of a trolley up there in those hills]
• 1920 (back to dates/top)
  • Midland Terminal actually build some new trackage, yeah!
    • Taylor Switchback. From Taylor to La Bella Junction.
      -> This trackage was used as a passenger train route through Victor. From Taylor it switched back on the old Golden Circle (CC&CS) grade for 0,5 mile, thence on a new grade to a connection with the extension of the Victor Branch at La Bella Junction, near the switch at Strong Junction.
      Length of track was 1,0 mile.
• 1923 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District.
    • Short Line District. Colorado Springs to Vindicator Junction.
      Length of track was 41,0 miles.
    • Colorado City Branch.
      Length of track was 1,9 miles.
    • Connection with AT&SF in Colorado Springs.
      Length of track was 1,2 miles.
    • High Line District. Cripple Creek to Victor, except 0,8 mile between the Last Dollar and Gold Sovereign Mines.
      Length of track was 11,5 miles.
    • Low Line District. Victor to Pisgah Junction.
      Length of track was 4,3 mile.
    • Hoosier Pass Cutoff.
      -> Cameron to Hoosier Pass.
      Length of track was 1,7 miles.
    • Raven Hill Spur.
      Length of track was 0,5 mile.
    • Blue Bird Spur.
      Length of track was 0,3 mile.
    • Eagle Sampler Branch.
      Length of track was 1,1 miles.
      
      Length of CS&CCD track abandonment comes to a total of 63,5 miles.
• 1924 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Denver & Rio Grande Western (former Denver & Rio Grande).
    • Coal Creek Branch.
      -> Florence to Coal Creek Mine No. 2.
      Length of track was 3,2 miles.
• 1930 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Midland Terminal.
    • Taylor Switchback. From Taylor to Portland (Independence) Mill.
      Length of track was 1,2 miles.
• 1932 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Colorado Springs & Interurban.
    • Colorado Springs to Manitou
      -> The entire Colorado Springs street car system was replaced by buses May 1, 1932
      Length of track was 5,9 miles.
• 1939 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Denver & Rio Grande Western.
    • Manitou Branch. Reduced from Manitou to the 28th Street in Colorado Springs.
      Length of track was 2,6 miles.
• 1942 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Denver & Rio Grande Western.
    • Fremont Branch.
      -> From Fremont Junction to Fremont Mine.
      Length of track was 1,9 miles.
• 1944 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Colorado & Southeastern.
    • Chandler Junction to D&RG Junction.
      Length of track was 0,7 mile.
  • Abandonment, Denver & Rio Grande Western.
    • Chandler Creek Branch.
      -> From Chandler Junction to Chandler Mine.
      Length of track was 4,6 miles.
• 1947 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe.
    • Two sections of main line trackage between Portland and Canon City.
      -> Trackage rights were granted over D&RGW tracks from Adobe, near Portland, to Canon City.
      Length of track was 10,4 miles.
• 1948 (back to dates/top)
  • Abandonment, Midland Terminal leaves the District as the last railroad out.
    • Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek.
      Length of track was 55,9 miles.
    • Victor Branch.
      -> From Victor Junction to end of track at Portland Mill.
      Length of track was 1,0 mile.
    • Beacon Hill Branch.
      -> From the Mary McKinney to the El Paso Mine.
      Length of track was 1,0 mile.
    • Former Golden Circle trackage.
      Length of track was 4,9 miles.
    • Golden Cycle Spur at Colorado Springs.
      Length of track was 1,0 mile.
    • Portland - Ajax Branch.
      Length of track was 1,6 miles.
      
      Length of MT track abandonment comes to a total of 65,4 miles.
      -> All tracks where removed in 1949, leaving the once Greatest Gold District in the World with no railroad connection at all.