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Reference Section: Colorado Midland RR, Central Colorado

The Colorado Midland Railway, incorporated in 1883, was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. It ran from Colorado Springs to Leadville and through the divide at Hagerman Pass to Aspen and Grand Junction. Later the line was extended 11 miles west of Glenwood Springs to New Castle. The ATSF operated the railroad as a subsidiary from September 1890 on. The Hagerman Tunnel was completed through the divide in 1887, and in 1891 it was replaced by the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel which was at a lower altitude; this shortened the line and also made the grade easier.

A new company known as the Colorado Midland Railway took over operation of the railroad after the company was sold through bankruptcy court on May 4, 1897. The Midland came under control of the Colorado & Southern Railway and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1900, but again declared bankruptcy April 21, 1917, and was sold at auction to Albert E. Carlton of Colorado Springs. The Midland struggled to remain solvent, but America's entry into World War I overwhelmed the Midland's capacity to handle the sudden upswing in freight traffic; the USRA approved Carlton's petition to abandon the line in 1918 and the entire line was scrapped in the 1920s.

The Midland never made a profit; not only did the rugged topography it crossed result in astronomical construction & operating costs, but both east & west terminuses prevented effective through-traffic. It has been theorized that had the Midland achieved its original goals of connecting Salt Lake City with Denver and other points east, through-traffic connections with the Union Pacific & ATSF may have helped the Midland eventually become profitable. But, it was not to be, and one of the finest, well-built railroads in the country was abandoned.

My wife & I traveled over part of the old Colorado Midland grade in July 2006 from Leadville to Busk, on the east side of the Continental Divide, and reconnected with it on the western slope of the Divide. Alas, we did not have a chance to pay a visit to the western portal of either the Carlton/Busk-Ivanhoe tunnel nor the Hagerman tunnel, so we will have to save that for another trip.

View eastward from atop Hagerman Pass, showing two fills used by the first crossing of the Continental Divide by the Colorado Midland Railroad. The closest fill acts as a dam for melted snow, as seen in the foreground, while a lower fill can be seen behind it. The CMRR had to construct several tight switchbacks to reach the Hagerman Tunnel nearby; the Hagerman Tunnel was later replaced by the Carlton/Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel. The US Forest Service maintains a hiking trail over these fills, which is well worth the effort, as you can see some spectacular scenery and see some magnificent railroad construction over the old grade, including the remains of a 1,061-foot long trestle and the east portal of the Hagerman Tunnel.
 
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