Leadville, Colorado & Southern

The line that later becomes the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad originates in 1884, when the Denver South Park and Pacific Railroad—a Union Pacific subsidiary—constructs a narrow‑gauge passenger and freight route from Leadville to Denver. After the original owner’s bankruptcy in the late 1890s, the Colorado and Southern Railroad purchases the line in 1898. Service continues until 1934, when the segment between Climax and Denver is abandoned, leaving only the Climax‑to‑Leadville portion in operation. In 1943 the surviving track is converted from narrow gauge to standard gauge to accommodate heavier wartime freight to the Climax mine. Following the mine’s closure in the 1980s, Burlington Northern sells the line to Ken Olsen for $10 in 1987, and the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad begins tourist operations in 1988, a service that runs each season from Memorial Day weekend through April 1.