Three little lines : Silverton Railroad, Silverton, Gladstone & Northerly,…

In the late 19th century, a group of engineers and visionaries attempted something many considered impossible: threading narrow-gauge railroad tracks through some of the most treacherous terrain in the Rocky Mountains. The Silverton Railroad and its connected lines represented narrow-gauge railroading at its most ambitious, winding through dramatic box canyons and over high passes where snow buried tracks for months and washouts could wipe out years of labor in a single afternoon. Yet these lines persisted for decades, hauling silver ore from remote mines, connecting isolated towns, and conquering a landscape that had defeated less determined men. Written from mid-20th century perspective with access to original sources, this account captures the intricate dance of engineering ambition and mountain reality that defined Colorado's narrow-gauge era. The book documents not just the construction and operation, but the particular genius of adapting standard railroad practices to a gauge of just three feet, allowing trains to twist through curves where wider roads could never fit.