Alamosa Branch

I've always wondered why the alamosa Branch scared D&RGW management so much. I mean they set some kinda post-war record for scrapping a 3' gauge on that one. I mean, just compare:

Sapinero-Cedar Creek(25 miles): last train 5/31/49, scrapping completed(?) west of Cimmaron by 7/6/49 so 6 weeks?

RGS(172 miles): last train 12/27/51, scrapping completed 6/53(?), anyway at least that long so 18 months+

Montrose-Cedar Creek(10 miles: last train uncertain, Fall of '52. scrapped November '53 so about a year

Ridgway-Ouray(10 miles): Last train 3/21/53 scrapped October of '53, 7 months.

Poncha Jct-Sapinero & coal branches(185 miles): last train 12/17/53, scrapping completed October '55, 22 months(!)

Chama-Durango-Farmington(155 miles pre-1960's): last train 12/68, scrapped summer 1970. year and a half or so.

Now consider the Alamosa Branch, Mears Jct-Hooper(75 miles), last train 2/15/51, scrapping completed by the end of March (began 2/17!) 1953
last 3' ga train to Hooper on 3/10/53, Middle rail removed by 4/18/53.

Why so fast on the Alamosa branch when all the others were so lacksidasical? Only the Black Canyon/Cerro Summit trackage comes close to being removed as fast but it was only 1/3 the length! Were they afraid the ICC would change their mind or something? Sure couldn't have been afraid of somebody wanting to buy it for a tourist train, had to be the most boring trackage west of the Front Range in Colorado!

hank