The future of the iconic Pikes Peak Cog Railway is in jeopardy. It closed this winter for some major maintenance and renovation work. Now it will be closed through the 2018 season and possibly several years more.
The unique railway has been taking people to the top of Pikes Peak for more than 125 years. The age has been evident during recent maintenance. “As that happened we realized that a lot of the equipment was specialized equipment and had outlived its usefulness,” said Allison Scott with The Broadmoor. The Broadmoor owns The Cog and recognizes it as a big draw not just to the region, but to the state.
Figuring out if The Cog still has a future, requires bringing in experts from Germany and Switzerland to help with decisions. "We need to get the experts in to take a look and say okay, this we can do, this maybe we can’t do,” said Scott. They will consider ways to keep piecing together the outdated system, or if there is a way to retrofit and modernize that is affordable. Depending on the extent of work needed a permanent closure could also be considered.
“We’re certainly not giving up,” said Pikes Peak Cog Railway, General Manager, Spencer Wren. While the closure option makes people nervous every involved says the goal is finding a way to keep the popular attraction going long into the future.
