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About Leadville, Colorado & Southern
Two-hour scenic Rocky Mountain round-trips at 10,152 ft from Leadville depot; daily Memorial Day-September, with wildflower/BBQ/holiday specials.
History
The line that became the Leadville Railroad was built in 1884 by the Denver South Park and Pacific Railroad, a Union Pacific subsidiary, as a narrow‑gauge passenger and freight connection between the mining boom town of Leadville and Denver. After the original owner entered bankruptcy in the late 1890s, the Colorado and Southern Railroad acquired the line in 1898 and kept it in service to Denver until the segment from Climax to Denver was abandoned in 1934, leaving only the Climax‑to‑Leadville portion. In 1943 the surviving track was converted to standard gauge to handle heavier World‑War II freight bound for the Climax mine. When the Climax mine shut down during the 1980s recession, Burlington Northern sold the remaining line to Ken Olsen for $10 in 1987, and the Leadville Colorado and Southern Railroad began operating it as a tourist railroad in 1988. The tourist operation runs two‑hour scenic round‑trips from the Leadville depot at 10,152 ft, with a season that opens on Memorial Day weekend and continues through April 1.
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Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
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