Alpine Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Alpine Tunnel is a 1772 feet (540.1 m) narrow gauge railroad tunnel
located east of Pitkin, Colorado
on the former Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad
route from Denver to Gunnison
. At an elevation of 11523 feet (3,512.2 m), it was the first tunnel constructed through the Colorado Continental Divide
, and according to the U.S. Forest Service "remains the highest railroad tunnel and the longest narrow gauge tunnel in North America." However, it did not last long in service. Construction began in January 1880 and was scheduled to last for six months but instead dragged on till July 1882, and the line was abandoned in 1910 due to minor damage in the tunnel. Now the tunnel is sealed shut and the remaining trackbed serves as a trail for hikers and off-road vehicles.
It was abandoned in 1910 by the Colorado & Southern due to minor damage in the tunnel and it not being worth repairing with a lack of traffic as the line failed to get much further beyond Gunnison on the west side. The Gunnison Division of the Colorado & Southern was abandoned from St Elmo, Colorado on the east side of the pass to Quartz on the west side. The Line from Quartz Pitkin, Colorado
to Baldwin was given to the Denver & Rio Grande Western in exchange for some little used lines around Leadville.
s. The former railbed is now a hiking trail on the east side and a rough road over the former railbed on the west side leads to a restored railroad stationhouse.
Little remains of the station complex built by the railroad to service its trains and workers at this remote and inhospitable location. Volunteers have restored the railroad's 1883 Alpine Tunnel telegraph office
and reconstructed the station platform and 120 feet (36.6 m) of rail track, a turntable and an outhouse. Only ruins remain of the section house and engine house, and other buildings and railroad infrastructure have disappeared.Volunteers work on restoration of the complex at least once a year.
The Alpine Tunnel Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in April 1996. It is typically open from July to September.
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
located east of Pitkin, Colorado
Pitkin, Colorado
Pitkin is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 66 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Pitkin is located at ....
on the former Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad
The Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad was a historic narrow gauge railway that operated in Colorado in the western United States in the late 19th century. The railroad opened up the first rail routes to a large section of the central Colorado mining district in the decades of the mineral boom...
route from Denver to Gunnison
Gunnison
Gunnison may refer to:* John W. Gunnison , U.S. explorer whose name is used in several places in the Western states* The Gunnison River in Colorado** Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park* Gunnison, Colorado* Gunnison County, Colorado...
. At an elevation of 11523 feet (3,512.2 m), it was the first tunnel constructed through the Colorado Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
, and according to the U.S. Forest Service "remains the highest railroad tunnel and the longest narrow gauge tunnel in North America." However, it did not last long in service. Construction began in January 1880 and was scheduled to last for six months but instead dragged on till July 1882, and the line was abandoned in 1910 due to minor damage in the tunnel. Now the tunnel is sealed shut and the remaining trackbed serves as a trail for hikers and off-road vehicles.
History
The Alpine Tunnel was "holed through" on July 26, 1881. Location of the tunnel portals and establishing a center line of the bore were completed in December 1879. Construction of the Alpine Tunnel took place between 1880–1881, by Cummings & Co. Construction company. This was the highest and most expensive tunnel built up until that time. It exceeds two miles (3 km) above sea level, with its highest point at 11,523.7 feet (3,512.4 m). It is 500 feet (150 m) under Altman Pass, later to be named Alpine Pass to prevent confusion, with a 1,825-foot (556 m) bore. It took 18 months to complete, with most of the construction done during the winter months.It was abandoned in 1910 by the Colorado & Southern due to minor damage in the tunnel and it not being worth repairing with a lack of traffic as the line failed to get much further beyond Gunnison on the west side. The Gunnison Division of the Colorado & Southern was abandoned from St Elmo, Colorado on the east side of the pass to Quartz on the west side. The Line from Quartz Pitkin, Colorado
Pitkin, Colorado
Pitkin is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 66 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Pitkin is located at ....
to Baldwin was given to the Denver & Rio Grande Western in exchange for some little used lines around Leadville.
Present day
The east portal of the tunnel has collapsed and the west portal has been covered by landslideLandslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s. The former railbed is now a hiking trail on the east side and a rough road over the former railbed on the west side leads to a restored railroad stationhouse.
Little remains of the station complex built by the railroad to service its trains and workers at this remote and inhospitable location. Volunteers have restored the railroad's 1883 Alpine Tunnel telegraph office
Electrical telegraph
An electrical telegraph is a telegraph that uses electrical signals, usually conveyed via telecommunication lines or radio. The electromagnetic telegraph is a device for human-to-human transmission of coded text messages....
and reconstructed the station platform and 120 feet (36.6 m) of rail track, a turntable and an outhouse. Only ruins remain of the section house and engine house, and other buildings and railroad infrastructure have disappeared.Volunteers work on restoration of the complex at least once a year.
The Alpine Tunnel Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in April 1996. It is typically open from July to September.
See also
- Railroad tunnel
- Rail trailRail trailA rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
- Narrow gauge railroads in the United StatesNarrow gauge railroads in the United StatesStandard gauge was favored for railway construction in the United States, although a fairly large narrow gauge system developed in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Isolated narrow gauge lines were built in many areas to minimize construction costs for industrial transport or resort access, and...
- Historic preservationHistoric preservationHistoric preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
External links
- Topographic map from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
- Western Portal of the Alpine Tunnel - Pitkin Area
- Guide to the Alpine Tunnel Historical District
- Denver Post hiking guide to Alpine Tunnel
- The Alpine Tunnel Historic District
- A detailed history
- An introduction and short history of the DSP&P's Alpine Tunnel