Back in Time: In the Aftermath of the Royal Gorge War, the Railroad Would Become Vital to Fremont County and Eventually Lead to the Tourist Train

February 29, 2020

The Santa Fe railway continued to use the depot until the early 1980s for freight purposes hauling cement, oil, coal, produce, and ore. Eventually, the production of the products decreased and so did the demand for freight service. By the time the depot was boarded up in 1983, the company had dwindled to one employee.

In 1994, the City of Cañon City bought the station and the six acres surrounding it for $10,290. Before the purchase could be completed, the Cotter Corp had to conduct an extensive clean up of radioactive waste left at the unloading site, according to a 1994 article. In 1997, the depot was incorporated as part of the $3.1 million River Station Project to be used as a family-style restaurant.

While the city was dedicated to maintaining the depot and utilizing it in the best way to fit the needs of the community, there was hope that one day it would be used as a passenger train depot again.

Talks of a passenger tourist train through the Royal Gorge are seen as early as 1989. A group of area representatives from Cañon City met with railroad officials to discuss a tourist train through the Royal Gorge to Leadville. “The six of us came out of that meeting feeling really good about the possibility of this happening in 1989, Marvin Monroe, a group spokesperson, said in an interview. However, a month later, hopes were dashed as the D&RG turned down the proposal due to the amount of freight traffic on the tracks.

In 1996, government officials from Eagle, Lake, Chafee, and Fremont counties gathered to discuss the future of the Tennessee Pass Line. The 173-mile line was, in its heyday, the highest active mainline railroad mountain pass in the United States. The consolidation of the Union Pacific Railroad with the Southern Pacific Railroad meant that the line could potentially be for sale.

Passing through multiple counties, the line included the much sought after 12 miles of track through the Royal Gorge. Several large rail companies seemed interested in the track with varying plans of tourism, freight, commuter uses or a hybrid. Greg Tabuteau from Royal Gorge Scenic Railway was also interested in buying the track-but only the section that ran through the Royal Gorge. With a plan to lease out the old Santa Fe Railroad depot as a place for ticket sales, restaurant, and gift shop, he hoped by offering a shorter trip for tourists the business would prosper. His plan also allowed for freight trains to use the rails at night.

Other ideas for the corridor would be to use it as a trail system, according to a February 1996 Pueblo Chieftain article. However, negotiations were slow-moving and it wasn’t until 1998 that the dream of a passenger tourist train finally would be reached.

On July 3, 1998, the Union Pacific Railroad sold the 12-mile section of track from Cañon City to Parkdale to the Royal Gorge Express. The new owner included two affiliates, the Rock and Rail and the Cañon City and Royal Gorge Railroad, according to a Pueblo Chieftain article. The rock and rail portion would provide freight service to the Parkdale gravel mining operation west of Cañon City, and the tourist rail, owned by Lindsey Ashby, would operate out of the old firehouse at 330 Royal Gorge Blvd.

In August 1998, the first group of tourists was able to board the Royal Gorge Route train, experiencing the same breathtaking canyon and unique views that those who had traveled the rails so many years before them.

Brooke Johnson / Cañon City Daily Record