PIKES PEAK, Colo. — The Broadmoor Pike’s Peak Cog Railway has begun rebuilding the famous 8.9-mile Colorado landmark railroad from the top down, with work remaining on schedule for a planned May 2021 reopening.
Trains News Wire was on hand to witness work on the railroad Wednesday. More than 200 feet of new track and ballast have been put down, and the majority of the track materials have already been distributed onto the mountain. Construction crews from contractor Stacy & Witbeck hauled track supplies up the right-of-way, cleared of tracks, from the bottom of the railroad at Manitou Springs. This worked well since the old track and gravel ballast had been removed.
Building from the top of the mountain downward avoids moving heavy equipment across the rail line as it is completed. Managers say that the economics did not support starting from the bottom.
The railroad shut down in 2018 after management said it needed a complete rebuild costing as much as $90 million, with some initial uncertainty whether it would be reopened [See “Pikes Peak cog’s owner asks for tax breaks for rebuild,” Trains News Wire, June 12, 2018.]
The railroad, the world’s highest cog railway, ascends to Pikes Peak at 14,115 feet. Its grades range up to 24% and average 12%.
What are they using for crossties? I see the track clips and the ties look like they are metal.
This is great news! When I was there in 2017 it practically shut down a month after I visited. The initial word was that it cost too much to repair and they were going to close forever.
I have missed the light on top of Pikes Peak so terribly much. It was an eye test for me during a very difficult time in my life, and I was told that the reason the lights were turned off was that the Cog Railroad was shut down. Will the lights return to the top of Pikes Peak when the railroad reopens?
The line was worn out, everything needed to be replaced. My question is if they will use the same trains as before the reconstruction, or if they plan to buy new ones?
Why was the track and ballast removed in the first place? Was this an outright scrapping?Not that a full on replacement wouldn’t be a bad thing in the long run.
They are overhauling some of the newest cars and also getting some new equipment. The center rack rail is of a different design than the 1890 and the existing equipment will be modified to mesh with the new rack rail.
How do they keep the ballast & track in place & keep it from shifting downhill on a steep grade like 24%? Is this ballast laying on top of solid rock? You would think the vibrations from a train passing over it would cause shifting. Having taken both Pikes Peak & Mt Washington, they are both great experiences with each having unique interests.
Christian – According to a TRAINS Newswire post of Feb 22, 2019, “The railroad closed in 2017 is beginning a $100 million project to replace track, rack rail, railcars, and to refurbish the existing depot. The railroad is scheduled to reopen in 2021.”https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/02/22-colorado-railroad-museum-receives-manitou–pikes-peak-cars