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The Farmington Branch was constructed in 1905 as a standard gauge line. When it became clear in 1921 that the San Juan Extension of the D&RG would remain narrow gauge, the standard gauge Farmington Branch was converted to narrow gauge in 1921. This is one of the few instances of standard to narrow gauge conversion. Usually it went the other way around from narrow to standard. At first the service on the line was limited to around one train a week from Durango. The freight and cattle business never really needed any more runs. However, in the 1950's natural gas and oil were discovered in the Farmington area and the railroad picked up to daily service. Heavy operations during the oil and gas boom breathed life back into the San Juan extension of the railroad that the other narrow gauge lines failed to enjoy. The other lines have been closed and deteriorating for almost half a century while the San Juan tracks were not abandoned until the late 1960's.
References: 18, 19, 20, 21, 49
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