Aspen Branch

I know its not NG these days, but some more of Colorado's railroad heritage is biting the dust.
"Railroad tracks will be sold for scrap metal
More than 42 miles of railroad track from Glenwood Springs, Colorado to Woody Creek will be torn up and sold for scrap metal, a coalition of Roaring Fork valley governments has decided.
The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, which includes local governments between New Castle and Aspen, decided to sell the tracks and ties for an estimated $1.2 million. The authority acquired the tracks and corridor more than a decade ago.
The decision also ends negotiations with an Illinois company that wanted to run a diner and tourist train between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale.
The decision to sell the tracks followed months of debate among rail and trail supporters. The authority wants to build a trail on portions of the rail bed where geographical constraints prevent the trail from being built along the tracks. Rail supporters claimed removing the tracks would prevent any possible future use of the corridor for passenger rail service.
Authority rail consultant Charles Montange disagreed and said the Surface Transportation Board, the federal agency that supervises rail issues, does not consider whether tracks are present when it considers approval of new rail lines.
The authority already has “rail banked,” or preserved, the use of the corridor for a train at a later date, Montange said. - Mike McKibbin, The Grand Junction Sentinel"