ROYAL GORGE, COLORADO
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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.
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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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