Alamosa–Durango Line

Denver and Rio Grande freight train near Chama, NM, 1968.

The Alamosa–Durango Line was a narrow gauge railroad built by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, following the border between the states of Colorado, USA, and New Mexico, USA, in the Rocky Mountains. The line was built to 3 ft (914 mm), although the section from Alamosa to Antonito was later built as three-track dual gauge, allowing both 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge and narrow gauge running.[1]

The railroad reached Durango in 1881, with a branch built north to Silverton by 1882. This was followed by a standard gauge railway south to Farmington, New Mexico in 1902, which was converted to 3 ft (914 mm) gauge in 1923.

Today, the Walsenburg–Alamosa–Antonito line survives as the standard gauge San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad, with passenger excursion trains service provided by the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. Two narrow gauge segments survive as steam railroads, the Antonito–Chama line as the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad and Durango–Silverton as the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

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