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Company NameColorado Midland
CategoryRailroad
Year Founded1883
Final Year of Operation1918
TerminationDissolved
CountryUnited States (Details)



Company History: The CM was established in 1883 with plans to build a standard gauge line west from Colorado Springs, Colorado to the mining centers of Leadville then over the continental divide at what would become known as Hagerman Pass to Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction then on to connections with the Central Pacific at Ogden, Utah. Unfortunately, they would only get as far as Grand Junction and its interchange with the Denver & Rio Grande – CM’s arch-competitor. The completion of the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel lowered the summit of the line but it still included a 20 mile 3% grade on the eastbound climb to the tunnel. The line from Colorado Springs to Divide had segments of 4% grade and many tight curves. Much of the route was above 9,000 feet in elevation and blanketed in snow until June of each year. A blizzard in 1899 closed Hagerman Pass for 77 days. Westbound through traffic was handed over to the Rio Grande at Grand Junction but corresponding eastbound through traffic was almost non-existent since it could stay on the Rio Grande to reach most of the same places.

Late in 1917, the USRA took control of the railroads due to the First World War. Much of the east-west traffic through Colorado was diverted on to the CM between Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. CM was not built for those traffic levels and immediately bogged down. In response, USRA diverted nearly all traffic off the CM and onto the Rio Grande, leaving just a bit of local business. It wasn’t enough to keep the operation going and in 1918, the Colorado Midland applied to abandon much of the railroad. Much of the line east of Divide was sold to the Midland Terminal Railroad and west of Divide it was abandoned.

History courtesy of Bluford Shops
Brief History:
The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.

Item Links: We found: 1 different collections associated with Colorado Midland - Railroad
Item created by: gdm on 2017-10-10 09:56:07. Last edited by Alain LM on 2020-07-22 14:11:25

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