Global InformationCarson and Colorado Railway information
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | California and Nevada |
| Dates of operation | 1880–1960 |
| Successor | Southern Pacific Company |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Length | c. 300 miles (480 km) |
The Carson and Colorado Railway was a U.S. 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railroad that ran from Mound House, Nevada, to Keeler, California, below the Cerro Gordo Mines. It was incorporated on May 10, 1880, as the Carson and Colorado Railroad, and construction on the railroad began on May 31, 1880. The narrow gauge track was chosen to reduce cost. Much of the route now parallels U.S. Route 95 Alternate, U.S. Route 95, Nevada State Route 360, U.S. Route 6, and U.S. Route 395.
The Carson and Colorado began operations with a single Baldwin 4-4-0, the Candelaria. The first train arrived at Keeler on August 1, 1883. The 300-mile (480 km) route reached an altitude of 7,100 feet (2,200 m) in Montgomery Pass.[1] The railroad served an arid area heavily dependent on mineral resources for economic activity. The line was reorganized as the Carson and Colorado Railway in 1892 to reduce accumulated debt.[2]
- ^ Turner 1974 p.2
- ^ Turner 1974 p.4