Leadville – Not Your Average Engineer

October 18, 2016December 25, 2017

Hagerman Pass

On our way from Aspen back to Denver, we decided to go over Hagerman Pass and follow an old continental divide railroad route. Heading up the mountain, we passed an active fire fighting operation on the north side of a reservoir. Two big twin rotor helicopters were sucking water out of the reservoir and dumping it on the mountain above us.

There was some real precision flying to take on all of that water and get it back up the mountain.

After leaving Ruedi Reservoir and the fire fighters, we headed up onto Hagerman Pass.

This way to Leadville!

Looking back south and west toward the general Richmond Hill area although I think there is another range of mountains in between us and Richmond Hill.

Crossing under the big 230 kVA high tension transmission power lines that go between Leadville and the town of Basalt below Aspen.

Looking down on Ivanhoe Lake which was built by the Army Corps of Engineers to divert water via a tunnel from the west side of the continental divide to the east side.

This odd-looking device is attached to one of the three phases on the 230 kVA line at the top of Hagerman Pass. I suspect it’s some sort of lightning arrester although it is only hooked to one phase and we didn’t see any other devices on the several miles of power lines we drove underneath of. For size comparison, the fence around the device is about eight feet tall.

Heading east under the power line and over the continental divide.

Here we are at the summit. The pacific ocean is one way and the atlantic is the other.

Heading down the east side toward Leadville.

This is an old railroad grade so it’s pretty mild but has stunning views. I believe the mountains straight ahead are part of the Collegiate Peaks.

This is the tunnel entrance that the water diversion comes out of. Originally, this tunnel was used for the railroad. For about 30 or so years after the railroad pulled out its lines, this was a regular Colorado highway. Then the highway was rerouted over a different pass. Now the Army Corps of Engineers uses the tunnel to bring water from west to east.

There’s no way that I’d enter this tunnel. At this point, it really is only useful for the water pipe that runs through it. There used to be another tunnel farther up on the mountain that I believe is now collapsed. The railroad originally went over the top of the pass, then through the high tunnel, and then the low tunnel before pulling out the tracks completely.

Looking down from above on some of the cribbage that keeps the tunnel entrance from being inundated with rockfall.

Down at the reservoir to the west of Leadville as we head back to Denver.

We got the truck pretty muddy this weekend splashing around in the mud and having a great time exploring another part of Colorado.

July 6, 2014July 25, 2014

Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad

One of the old steam engines that used to run on the old Colorado and Southern Railroad Highline that the Leadville, Colorado, & Southern Railroad occupies today. Maybe someday they’ll get this old beast up and running again.

The Leadville, Colorado and Southern currently runs a couple of diesel locomotives on the short line that they have preserved between Leadville and Fremont Pass.

Greg, Heather’s dad, getting ready to board the train.

The engine is sitting at the very end of the tracks here in Leadville.

Looking out toward some very big mountains.

Passing some old boxcars with doors built in on the way out of Leadville.

Heading up toward the pass.

The old roundhouse where they still store engines and do maintenance.

A few maintenance cars on the siding.

A wye where things can be turned around.

Heading up through the aspen.

The old diesel rumbling along.

An area to set speeders on for when trains pass by.

The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad railbed is visible in the valley below.

Big mountains ahead.

Looking back down the valley toward Leadville.

Starting to cross the part of the Highline route that gave it its name. The drop-off here is very steep and goes a long way down.

If the train left the tracks here, it would go all the way to the bottom.

This part of the line was blasted out of the rock.

The train working its way through a narrow notch between the mountain and a protruding bluff.

A new zip line goes alongside the train in one area.

This is the spot where a big washout occurred. When I rode this train as a child, the washout hadn’t been fixed yet and we stopped here. Now the train can go along the full right-of-way once again.

There used to be a little mining town down by the highway.

Heather enjoyed the train.

The big Climax Mine on Fremont Pass where molybdenum is pulled out of the earth starts to come into view.

This is the site of a large portion of the world’s easily accessed molybdenum reserves.

The horn on the engine echoes and reverberates off of the mountains near Fremont Pass. On good days, the horn can be heard several mountain ranges away.

Another blast of the horn before setting off downhill to Leadville.

Heading back down toward Leadville.

We stopped at the old water tower partway down so that people could visit the engine and the caboose.

Everyone in front of the water tower.

Going back to check out the caboose.

The coupler and person-way between the last car and the caboose.

One of the seats where the brakewoman can sit and watch the rails as the train backs up the hill toward Fremont Pass.

At the end of the train.

A home-made cow catcher on the caboose.

Looking up the tracks.

Visiting the engine.

An old engine in need of a paint job.

In the cab with the engineer and fireman.

Heading down the highline toward Leadville.

Back in Leadville. What a great train ride!

July 6, 2014July 25, 2014

The Matchless Mine

No tour of Leadville is complete without going to the Matchless Mine to see Baby Doe’s cabin where she lived out the last 30 years of her life in isolation.