Wagon Wheel Gap Route

and the

Denver & Rio Grande Railway

La Veta Pass Photos

including other

Denver & Rio Grande Western R.R. Photos

This stretch is now operated by

San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad

With the requests received I am adding photos of La Veta Pass.

For additional information and photos of La Veta Pass acquire the book:

"The Rio Grande's La Veta Pass Route" by  Steve Rasmussen  

June 9 to 11th 2005, saw the first passenger service over La Veta Pass in many years....

Although it was a charter train originating from the Chicago area it carried about 40 happy individuals over the pass to Alamosa then down to Antonito for a ride on C&TSRR, then back to Alamosa Saturday and on to interconnect to the San Luis Central for a ride up to Center then back to Monte Vista to stop at the D&RG Historical Foundation's Museum.  A ride back to Alamosa closed out the day.  Sunday saw them traveling back over  La Veta Pass....

Braving the wind and diesel smoke this traveler was looking at......

The scene just down from the pass with 14,000ft+ Mt Blanca in the background

On out toward Fort Garland the mountains turn to hills...

But the river cuts get deeper

On the south side of the town of Blanca with the namesake mountain again towering over us..

Crossing the Rio Grande and entering Alamosa

A quick stop at Alamosa... then

on to Antonito for the night....

After a run on the C&TSRR they are loading up for a trip through the San Luis Valley

Crew includes Marc - , Conductor and Matt Cutter, Engineer

C&T # 487 bids them a farewell and they head north...

Crossing the Fields toward Alamosa with Mt. Blanca in the background..

La Veta Pass crosses in the low area of the mountains just behind the last car of the train.

Pulling into Alamosa and on to the San Luis Central Line...

Mr. Bush from Washington D.C. looking at the scenery while heading west toward Monte Vista...

( No not that Mr. Bush, this one has been there longer... )

Pushing back onto the SLC Line at Sugar Junction..

At the end of the run to the Town of Center, SLC places the train back on the line...

Backing into Monte Vista through the Highway 160 Crossing

A stop at the Denver & Rio Grande Historical Foundations Hq. rounds out the day....

They returned to Alamosa for the Night then Sunday Morning headed back over La Veta Pass, then back to Chicago..

These were taken during the transfer of FEC #148 from Walsenburg to Monte Vista In March 2005

Check it  at Walsenburg

Starting Up

Lost in the Mountains

It was Cold....

Exiting lower tunnel

Same Tunnel

Cresting the top

Looking  Down

Almost at the bottom

In the Cab...

Sun Down

Back in Alamosa

Night Trains

Been pushin' snow, huh Butch ???

6 a.m. headin' toward Alamosa..

Spring Time - 2004

Flying west toward La Veta Pass -

Old NG track went behind mountain at right center

SG track is straight ahead

Looking South West - SG track cut is visible on south side of valley.

Better view of SG line - train is at left of center

Fixing track on east side of pass

About 2 miles up from rail work, that is the track bed below !!

About another mile up, about where airborne photo showed train...

Old bunk house at pass...

Cattle loading pens just west of the pass...

About 1/2 way down the west side of pass

One of the many cuts on the west side

Town of Russell

Russell is located about 5 miles west of the highway pass, on private land now.  The road bed is visible in areas.

Additional Airborne Photos

East of Ft. Garland..

Just Past Russell

Looking back toward San Luis Valley - Train at Bend...

Loop at Top Looking South/East

Another View Looking West

Down Hill on East Side

Entering Tunnel

Looking West at what we just went over 14,000+ in the background..

Another View

This is what happens when you do not pay attention..

23 Cars in this pile.. Start Counting,  you will not see all of them, some are buried in this mess

Historic Photos

D&RGW Photos

The 1880 Car Shops in Denver - Photos Taken 05-16-05

Notice 3 rails in floor, some outside tracks are still 3 rail....

I will add more later...

Also see:

 * THE RIO GRANDE'S LA VETA PASS ROUTE: Gateway to the San Luis Valley
By Stephen Rasmussen. Colorado's La Veta Pass is one of the most remote places in the state. High in the Sangre De Cristo mountains, it is a wilderness populated by mountain lions, bears, and also trains. Built in 1899 as a standard gauge alternative to the narrow gauge line over Veta Pass, the La Veta Pass route of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway extends from Pueblo to Creede, running through Alamosa and the fertile San Luis Valley. The railroad allowed San Luis Valley agriculture to thrive, and the Valley remains an important food producer to this day. Other important commodities have included silver (and the miners who flocked to retrieve it), lumber, livestock, minerals and malt for Coors beer.
304 pages, 400 photographs, maps, timetables, locomotive diagrams and documents, hardbound.

Available at most Colorado Bookstores, also at the Colorado Railroad Museum

Web Site E-Mail Address is Wagon-Wheel-Gap@hotmail.com

Also see our History of San Luis Valley & it's Railroads web site:

Wagon-Wheel-Gap.freehomepage.com

It's still under construction but you may find it interesting.

This is not an official web site of the D&RG Ry. Historical Foundation. 

It is a private informational site by Richard Cutter who is solely responsible for content and

content is not submitted to, approved nor controlled by the D&RG Historical Foundation.

Unless otherwise Noted

Historical Photographs 1800's to 1940's from the National Archives

Photos, Videos and Text are Copyrighted by Richard Cutter

   - Photos can be used for non-commercial use if plainly identified as to copyright holder and location, such as "at Wagon-Wheel-Gap-Route, Colorado"

The name "Wagon Wheel Gap Route" refers to the section of the Creede Branch of the Old "Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad" that extends from South Fork to Creede Colorado, the name was developed and used for this website and is considered as our trademark.

Last updated: July 03, 2005

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