Whowned the Glenwood Springs to Aspen, Colorado track?

[Robert Gift]

What was its original purpose?
When abandoned and why?

Thank you,
Robert

 

[MJLriak]

Denver and Rio Grande was the one that was most recently there - Colorado Midland is the one the highway is built on.

http://www.drgw.net/info/uploads/Main/rgmap.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Colorado_Midland_Railway_map.jpg

>>What was its original purpose?
both - serve the mining town of Aspen

>>When abandoned and why?
Colorado Midland - they pulled a "Rock Island" in 1918 and scrapped everything back to Cripple creek.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Midland_Railway

DRGW - think it operated up till the early 80's - lack of traffic.

 

[MJLriak]

head over to the Colo railroad museum in Golden they sell (or at least they used to) a "Historic RR's of Colo" wall poster that has everything that ever was in Colorado:
https://shop.coloradorailroadmuseum.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=2706

(and only $5.95...)

 

[otlocal]

I could be wrong,but i think Aspen,was a mining town and the D&RG ran out of there up until the line was cut back to serve some customers only part way up the line,but i bet the Denver Public Library, would have all the answers to your questions as they have extensive historical records and pictures of railroads and mining,and other western history.

 

[ecofreak]

I lived there in 1976 and the Rio Grande trains were still running. There was a coal mine southwest of Carbondale and they trucked in coal to that town and loaded trains that went all the way down to Glenwood and then on west from there. At that time the track went to Woody Creek near Aspen but had no traffic.
I guess the coal mine played out and they didn't have a customer anymore in the early eighties.

 

[Robert Gift]

Thank you, all.
On GooglEarth I followed the ROW into Aspen but cannot discern where it ended.
Much of it has been converted into the Rio Grande Trail.
Rio Grande Trails runs into Puppy Smith Street.
A block south is Rio Grande Place.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Aspen...,-95.677068&sspn=37.325633,92.460937&t=h&z=17
(Drag the GooglEarth "Man" icon to the right and you will see a blue dot where the iron bridge photo was taken.)
"Iron bridge" appears to be an old railroad bridge.