CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KOAA) — Since the late 1990s, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad has been showcasing one of Southern Colorado's most dazzling natural formations (the Royal Gorge) to hundreds of thousands of visitors.
The service takes visitors through the heart of the Royal Gorge, providing astounding views of:
- cliff faces towering more than 1,000 feet overhead
- the fast-flowing Arkansas River
- a wide array of local flora and fauna (bighorn sheep, mule deer, blue herons, etc.)
While the current passenger service running through the Royal Gorge has been operating for nearly 30 years, the history of the tracks dates back to the 1870s, when railroad companies were vying for the rights to lay tracks through the area.
On April 19, 1878, a hastily assembled construction crew from the Santa Fe began grading for a railroad just west of Canon City in the mouth of the gorge. The D&RG whose end of track was only ¾ of a mile from Canon City raced crews to the same area, but were blocked by the Santa Fe graders in the narrow canyon. By a few hours they had lost the first round in what became a two-year struggle between the two railroads that would be known as the Royal Gorge War.
This conflict was eventually resolved, tracks were set in place, and passengers began riding the route.
Operations for this first iteration continued through mid-1967 before being shuttered; fast forward three decades to 1998, and the current Royal Gorge Route Railroad (RGRR) begins offering scenic views of this Colorado landmark once again.
According to the owner of the route, Mark Greksa, the RGRR started with only five passenger cars, but now it pulls 17 cars and offers three classes of service along with food and beverage options.
Greksa reports that this year the RGRR is "on track" to carry more than 250,000 passengers; this feat is carried out by the company's approximately 300 employees.
Our vision is to provide a quality experience, combining the spectacular scenery of the Royal Gorge, the nostalgia of 1950’s train travel, with unique dining options and exceptional service. The Royal Gorge Route has been instrumental in preserving this breathtaking canyon and ensuring a vital part of Colorado history will be passed along to the next generation.
Maintenance and restoration/renovation for all RGRR's cars and engines are all done on-site.
"We've got locomotives that we brought in from the '40s and '50s," commented Alan Schade, mechanical director for the RGRR, "and we've got newer stuff too."
"Honestly," stated Thomas Adams, train operations manager for the RGRR, "the biggest thing I hope people take away from the experience is just the amount of effort and pride that's put into all the equipment that's around us, everything that we maintain. We can bring cars in, in various states; whether closer to new or [those that] have been left out for a number of years with little to no maintenance, and we can completely turn them around to these masterpieces that we're crafting today."
The RGRR departs up to four times a day, with rides lasting between one hour and 50 minutes to two hours and 30 minutes; there are a number of special events hosted throughout the year, such as the Santa Express or the newly added Laser Light Show Train Ride (to name a couple).
For more history, a better glimpse at sights/sounds from the tracks, insights into operations, and train departure times and events, click here.
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