Silverton Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Silverton Railroad, now defunct, was an American
narrow-gauge railroad constructed between Silverton
, Colorado
and mining districts near Red Mountain Pass
, Colorado. Construction of the line, a project of famed Colorado railway-builder Otto Mears
, began in 1887. The railroad struggled as the Red Mountain-area mines declined in the 1890s and beyond, and it was finally abandoned in 1926.
This was the first railroad project by Otto Mears
. Construction began in Silverton in 1887, following a survey made by the D&RG, up Mineral Creek and climbed Red Mountain Pass to reach the incredibly rich mining around Red Mountain Town. The line then descended to Ironton and a spur to a mill at Albany in Ironton Park. In 1889, surveying and grading was begun on a branch up the upper Animas River to Eureka. This project became the beginning on the Silverton Northern Railroad
.
A line was proposed to connect Ironton with Ouray in 1892 which would have been electric-powered and using a rack-and-pinion system to overcome the steep grades of 7%. However, the Silver Crash of 1893 prevented further construction. The railroad struggled through market and weather difficulties, was ordered into receivership in 1898 and sold under foreclosure in 1904. It was reorganized as the Silverton Railroad Company, but was finally dismantled in 1926.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
narrow-gauge railroad constructed between Silverton
Silverton, Colorado
The town of Silverton is a Statutory Town that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, San Juan County, Colorado, United States. Silverton is a former silver mining camp, most or all of which is now included in a federally designated National Historic Landmark District,...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and mining districts near Red Mountain Pass
Red Mountain Pass
Red Mountain Pass elevation is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains of western Coloradoin the United States.The pass straddles a divide that separates Ouray and San Juan counties. The pass is named for the nearby Red Mountain 1, 2 and, 3 on the northeast side of the pass...
, Colorado. Construction of the line, a project of famed Colorado railway-builder Otto Mears
Otto Mears
Otto Mears was a famous Colorado railroad builder and entrepreneur who played a major role in the early development of southwestern Colorado....
, began in 1887. The railroad struggled as the Red Mountain-area mines declined in the 1890s and beyond, and it was finally abandoned in 1926.
This was the first railroad project by Otto Mears
Otto Mears
Otto Mears was a famous Colorado railroad builder and entrepreneur who played a major role in the early development of southwestern Colorado....
. Construction began in Silverton in 1887, following a survey made by the D&RG, up Mineral Creek and climbed Red Mountain Pass to reach the incredibly rich mining around Red Mountain Town. The line then descended to Ironton and a spur to a mill at Albany in Ironton Park. In 1889, surveying and grading was begun on a branch up the upper Animas River to Eureka. This project became the beginning on the Silverton Northern Railroad
Silverton Northern Railroad
The Silverton Northern Railroad, now defunct, was an American three foot narrow gauge railroad constructed to reach the mining area north of Silverton, Colorado along the upper Animas River. This line, the third railroad project by Otto Mears, began in 1889 as a branch of the Silverton Railroad to...
.
A line was proposed to connect Ironton with Ouray in 1892 which would have been electric-powered and using a rack-and-pinion system to overcome the steep grades of 7%. However, the Silver Crash of 1893 prevented further construction. The railroad struggled through market and weather difficulties, was ordered into receivership in 1898 and sold under foreclosure in 1904. It was reorganized as the Silverton Railroad Company, but was finally dismantled in 1926.