The Creede Branch begins
in the flat lands of the San
Luis Valley at Alamosaand
travels northwest along the Rio Grande to the mining districts around
Creede. Along the way the landscape transitions from long, mostly level,
straight shots through Del Norte, to more
rugged rock canyons beginning at South Fork.
By the time it gets to Creede the rock canyons
have become massive vertical faced cliffs hundreds of feet high.
The railroad grew west to Creede along the Rio Grande valley in 1881. At first the tracks
arrived in Del Norte from Alamosa. Then the line was quickly extended to
Wagon
Wheel gap, a local resort area. The view at Wagon Wheel gap is nice but times
were tuff for the line and it almost closed by 1889.
It wasn't until 1892 that real pay dirt began to move out of Creed and the
railroad was extended from Wagon Wheel gap. In 1902 the tracks were converted from narrow gauge to standard gauge from
Alamosa to Creede.
Creede had a nice boom period and the railroad flourished until the late
1920's. In 1929 things were slow all over and the railroad tested a gas powered
motor car on the line. Car 592 did not catch on and after a year was
discontinued. Passenger service ended in 1932 however the mines kept producing
in the area and railroad service continued for many years. In 1956 the last run
of a steam engine on the D&RGW went up the Creede branch. The line stayed in operation until
1972.
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