San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad
Encyclopedia
The San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad is a class III railroad
operating in Colorado
.
The SLRG began operations in 2003 using 154 miles of former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
tracks on three lines radiating from Alamosa, Colorado
. The SLRG operates an eclectic variety of equipment from the SD90MAC to 100-year-old steam locomotives. Steam engine #18 is sometimes found pulling freight.
The Railroad interchanges with the San Luis Central Railroad at Sugar Junction in Monte Vista, Colorado.
The railroad was established by RailAmerica
following the divestiture of the tracks by the Union Pacific (after acquisition of the D&RGW through merger with the Southern Pacific.) Holding company Permian Basin Railways purchased the railroad from RailAmerica in 2005.
, operates passenger excursion trains on the lines to La Veta and Antonito during the summer months only.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
operating in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
The SLRG began operations in 2003 using 154 miles of former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
tracks on three lines radiating from Alamosa, Colorado
Alamosa, Colorado
The city of Alamosa is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 8,682 in 2005...
. The SLRG operates an eclectic variety of equipment from the SD90MAC to 100-year-old steam locomotives. Steam engine #18 is sometimes found pulling freight.
- Alamosa east to Walsenburg, ColoradoWalsenburg, ColoradoThe City of Walsenburg or Los Leones is a Statutory City that is the county seat and the most populous city of Huerfano County, Colorado, United States...
(over La Veta Pass) where it interchanges with the Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman.... - Alamosa south to Antonito, ColoradoAntonito, ColoradoThe Town of Antonito is a statutory town located in Conejos County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town's population was 873.-Geography:...
where it meets the narrow gauge Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadCumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadThe Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad running between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado. It runs over the Cumbres Pass, the highest point on a US passenger railway.... - Alamosa west South Fork, ColoradoSouth Fork, ColoradoSouth Fork is a Statutory Town in Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States. The population was 604 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Fork is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
The Railroad interchanges with the San Luis Central Railroad at Sugar Junction in Monte Vista, Colorado.
The railroad was established by RailAmerica
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
following the divestiture of the tracks by the Union Pacific (after acquisition of the D&RGW through merger with the Southern Pacific.) Holding company Permian Basin Railways purchased the railroad from RailAmerica in 2005.
Heritage railroad
A subsidiary heritage railroad, the Rio Grande Scenic RailroadRio Grande Scenic Railroad
The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad of Colorado, a heritage railway, began operations in 2006, operating both steam and diesel locomotives in the San Luis Valley. Located south of Denver, Colorado, the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad operates out of Alamosa, Monte Vista and La Veta...
, operates passenger excursion trains on the lines to La Veta and Antonito during the summer months only.