The first items needed for this investigation would be 1) determine where the railroad actually ran and 2) what the current condition of the right of way is.
I have driven much of the old R.O.W. (only Gato to Dulce I've not seen), but to determine where the railroad was actually laid is the predecessor to finding out who currently owns the property. In my civil engineering experience, property plats can be found in the county court house. They are tax maps. To do this, we need to know which counties the railroad actually ran. A good set of USGS topographic maps showing the line (especially if we can get pre-1968 issues showing the D&RGW) can sometimes be found and are quite valuable as an overall campaign map as to what needs to be done.
The second line of attack needs to be documenting the existing condition of the grade to see what the current conditions are. Preservation efforts need to be focused on those sections most likely to be lost. This will be determined by comparing maps (i.e. USGS topographic, tax records, newspaper articles, etc.) with the photographic evidence of on site examination.
If we can find someone to keep up to date and attend meetings for the proposed CDOT changes in Durango, it would help greatly.
Although it is still early, funding to purchase the remaining bridges could be a rallying point.
One thing that would shoot down the whole thing is if the Indians decide to not let us on their reservation(s). Consider the Gomez store at Gato. I think the Indians would be open to allowing the railroad if there is assurance to run trains to their casinos. I would be glad to accept that deal.
It seems to me that I heard that the Indians wanted a track from Chama to their casino operated by the C&TS. They were supposedly willing to pay for construction of the line from Chama to Dulce. Do you know anything about this?
Even if we get the R.O.W. under our control, about the only D&RGW power available for the line would be 464 (assuming Huckleberry will part with it). The rest would have to come from C&TS and D&SNG. How can we entice them to rent or lease us the locomotives? At the current time, I'm assuming that we are an independent special interest group but it might make sense later on to hand over our work to the Friends of the C&TS (merge) or the States of Colorado and New Mexico (donate) so that there is more incentive to use D&S and/or C&TS motive power on the line.
Durango worked heavily for not saving the main line in 1968. How can we get them on our side in rebuilding the line?
What can you do?
Needs:
1) USGS maps of the entire line.
2) determine every county in both states that had track in them.
3) photographs of the existing grade with appropriate notation saying where the photo was taken (i.e. La Plata County CO off SR 91 about 2 miles from Ignacio) and when.
4) an eye on any newspaper articles like the Durango Herald one concerning the bike path on the old railroad grade. I’ve read the article Jessica Stacy referred to and if we can convince CDOT and Durango now, they could design the bike path to coexist with the railroad. Since CDOT does not have authority to acquire this property, Durango will be primarily involved. This is where we need buy-in with Durango and La Plata county officials. Since designs for the project are not complete and in the early stage, we could get changes made in the earlier less costly design phases. It is also important that CDOT not make the highway such that we can not economically cross the highway either at grade or by overpass or underpass.
As for the bike path, maybe we can convince Durango that if they’d give us consideration for a track beside the grade, we’d lay some track there for its historical feel.
Ideas?
Excerpts from the Durango Herald article:
"... Because voters approved the TRANS ballot initiative in November, right-of-way acquisition, engineering and construction will begin next year between Farmington Hill and the Florida River. The $60 million, 6-mile-long project should be completed in 2005, two years earlier than without TRANS. CDOT’s preferred alternative for the highway still must be critiqued by the public and pass environmental muster before construction begins. ..."
"... A detached bicycle path or bicycle lanes on frontage roads will be included along the highway, but CDOT will need La Plata County and the city of Durango’s help in maintaining and securing rights of way for the trail, Watson said.
"We are committed to constructing the bike path as part of the project. However, we don’t have the authority to acquire the rights of way for the bike path," he said. (This is the CDOT spokesman - Doug)
The county and city may need to include trail dedications in future development proposals along the highway corridor, he said.
A separated 10-foot-wide asphalt bike path will extend from Dominguez Drive east to a new highway interchange at Wilson Gulch just west of High Llama Lane.
The paved trail will be north of the highway and will generally follow an old railroad grade. There is also the possibility the bike path will cross beneath U.S. Highway 550/160 west of the U.S. Highway 550 intersection at Farmington Hill. The path would then connect with an existing frontage road south of the highway. ..."
