Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad
DSP&P
LIFE and TIMES
Railway
Pages Index

The D&RG was bigger, the
RGS was more romantic, but the DSP&P overcame more hurdles – my kind
of railroad!
The
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad is my favorite narrow
gauge railway, partly because of the scenery, the difficulty,
and the underdog status of the road. Another reason is that the
DSP was the largest user of
Mason Bogies, my favorite locomotive. They
were the most artistically finished locomotives of any era, with
pin-striping, glorious colour schemes, and curvaceous fittings
where rectangular would have sufficed.
This page contains a brief history,
route map, roster, schedules, and representative photos of prototype
and model rolling stock.

Delton Locomotive
Works 1:24 Scale DSP&P Mason Bogie #15 "Breckenridge"
There are more pages
printed about the DSP&P per mile of track than nearly any other
narrow gauge railway. This page is probably the shortest survey
possible.

Accucraft
DSP&P Consolidation #51
DSP&P CORPORATE
The Denver, South Park, and
Pacific Railroad was a 3-foot gauge railway that served the mining
boom of the late 1800’s in the mountains of Colorado. Construction
began in 1873. The line from Denver to Leadville via Como was
completed in 1880, and to Gunnison through the Alpine Tunnel in
1882.

In 1885, the Union
Pacific Railroad purchased a majority interest in the DSP&P,
resulting in a re-numbering of all locomotives and rolling stock to
match the UP family system. The DSP&P was reorganized
in 1889 by UP as the Denver, Leadville and Gunnison Railroad.
In
1894, the DL&G went into receivership and successfully emerged in
1899 as a profitable enterprise. The Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railroad,
previously the Colorado Central, running over the Georgetown Loop to
Silver Plume, also came out of receivership in 1899. The DL&G and
UPD&G were then merged to
become the Colorado and Southern Railroad.
The UP mismanagement was
now gone and the C&S was profitable for a while. It continued to run
the narrow gauge to Gunnison until 1910, and to Leadville until
1937. The C&S re-numbered all locomotives and rolling stock in 1899
and again in 1911 - some locomotives and cars carried four different
road numbers in their lifetimes.
Today, a section of the
standard gauge line between Leadville and Climax is operated as a
touist railroad called the Leadville, Colorado and Southern
Railroad.
DSP&P ROUTE
The mainline ran from Union Station in Denver up the valley of the
South Platte River to the town of South Platte, then followed the
North Fork of the South Platte through Buffalo Creek and Bailey.
West of Bailey, the route ran along North Fork and through the north
end of the Tarryall Mountains to Como, a distance of 88.2 miles by
rail. A small branch, just
south of Denver, connected to Morrison. This was the first part of
the railway to be built, back in 1873.
From Como, the mainline traversed South Park to Garo, where a spur went northward to
Fairplay and Alma.

The mainline continued
south from Garo, over Trout Creek Pass. On the western side of the
pass, a small spur connected to Buena Vista, then over the southern
end of the Sawatch Range through the Alpine Tunnel to Pitkin, then
Gunnison at milepost 208 (measured from Denver).
The principal branch line
went north from Como over Boreas Pass to Breckenridge, Dillon,
Keystone, Frisco, Climax, and finally Leadville at milepost 151.3.
Scheduled passenger trains took 8 hours to travel Denver to
Leadville. The time-freight took 12 hours and a way freight could
take two days.
DSP&P
CONSTRUCTION
Grading began in August 1873 from Denver to Morrison. The first
rails were laid on 18 May 1874. On 20 June 1874, the tracks reached
Morrison, and on 03 July 1874, scheduled service began between
Denver and Morrison with two round-trip mixed trains per day.
From
1874 until 1878, the company progressed slowly on its mainline,
using a series of different construction companies as it struggled
to remain solvent. The tracks finally reached the mouth of the
Platte Canyon on 04 May 1878, 20 miles from Denver, and by 02 June
1878, the tracks reached 12 miles up the canyon. The tracks reached
Buffalo Creek on 17 June 1878. The following year, on 19 May 1879,
the tracks reached to the summit of Kenosha Pass and on 27 June 1879
they reached Como.
In November 1879, with
the tracks only as far as South Park, the company contracted for the
initial construction of the Alpine Tunnel, with an expected
completion date of 01 July 1880. The following month, the tracks
reached to the summit of Trout Creek Pass. That same year, work
began on the branch line, the "High Line", to Leadville, and on 02
July 1880, the first train arrived in Leadville.
The
Alpine Tunnel broke through on 26 July 1881, a full year later than
planned. The mainline reached Gunnison the following year in 1882.
The Colorado and Southern
started dismantling in 1910, with the closure of the Alpine Tunnel.
In 1930, the C&S attempted to shut down the mainline through the
Platte Canyon, due to a decrease in revenue and traffic. The last
freight and passenger trains between Denver and Leadville operated
in April 1937, and on 10 April 1937, the South Park Line officially
closed. The last regular freight train operated between Denver and
Como on 25 April 1937.
The last narrow gauge
section, between Leadville and Climax, was converted to standard
gauge on 25 August 1943, connecting a number of mines to the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, the then owners of the C&S.
DSP&P
ROLLING STOCK
The first DSP&P locomotive was a Dawson and Bailey 2-6-0 built in
1874, named Fairplay. The second was a D&B 4-4-0 named Platte
Canyon. Five boxcars, five coal cars, thirty flat cars, one baggage
and one passenger car were built in 1874 by Hallack and Brothers in
Denver. These were used mostly for construction.
Not much equipment was
acquired during the slow period between 1874 and 1878. Then new
money and the prospect of profits from shipping silver ore brought
14 2-6-6T Mason Bogie locomotives in 1878. These were
numbered 3 through 16, and had names assigned that disappeared in
later years. Nine passenger cars
from Barney and Smith (6 built by DSP&P at Denver) arrived in
1878 and early 1879. Photos below are HO or S scale models from
published sources to illustrate the DSP&P rolling stock.

Berlyn Locomotive Works Sn3 DSP&P Mason Bogie #8 "Lake City", later DSP&P
#44

Berlyn Locomotive Works Sn3
DSP&P Mason Bogies #6 "Tenmile", later DSP&P # 42

Pacific Fast Mail
HOn3 DSP&P Mason Bogie #15 "Breckenridge"
Cimarron Car Works Sn3
DSP&P Freight Cars c.1893




DSP&P Trains in Real
Life, circa 1880's



Three second hand D&B
2-6-0 Moguls, numbered 17, 18, and 19, built in 1875 arrived in 1879, followed by 5 more
2-6-6T’s , numbered 20 - 24, and four 2-8-6T’s in 1880,
numbered 25 - 28.
Twenty seven more passenger
cars (including baggage, mail, and conbines) and six Pullman
sleepers arrived between 1879 and 1884. Several hundred freight
cars, mostly 26 to 27 foot, 10 to 14 ton capacity, were delivered
between 1880 and 1884. Some 1883 and 1884 cars had a capacity of 20
tons.
During 1883 and 1884, a
large group of Brooks and Cooke 2-6-0 Moguls and 2-8-0
Consolidations joined the fleet, bringing the locomotive roster to
74 at the time of the UP renumbering in 1885. Many of these survived
to become C&S locomotives, but none of the Mason Bogies lasted past
1899.


DSP&P Freight Cars
went thru many re-letterings and re-numberings between 1879 and
1899, before they became C&S property. The changes made after 1889
by the DL&G and later the C&S are not included in the rosters shown
below.
DSP&P ROSTER
Below is my simplified roster
that can be used to put appropriate car numbers on commercial
products, as well as to see the evolution of the rolling stock
before the C&S takeover.
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DSP&P RR LOCOMOTIVES 1874 - 1889 |
|
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|
|
ORIG # |
NAME |
1885 #, C&S # |
TYPE |
MFG |
BUILT |
|
1 |
Fairplay |
4 |
2-6-0 |
D&B |
1874 |
|
2 |
Platte Canyon |
283 |
4-4-0 |
D&B |
1874 |
|
3 |
Oro City |
40 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
4 |
San Juan |
41 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
5 |
Leadville |
291 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
6 |
Tenmile |
42 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
7 |
Gunnison |
43 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
8 |
Lake City |
44 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
9 |
Kenosha |
50 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
10 |
Granite |
45 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
11 |
Ouray |
46 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
12 |
Como |
47 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
13 |
Ruby |
48 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
14 |
Twin Lakes |
58 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
15 |
Breckenridge |
51 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
16 |
Eureka |
52 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1879 |
|
17 |
- |
140 |
2-6-0 |
D&B |
1875 |
|
18 |
- |
141 |
2-6-0 |
D&B |
1875 |
|
19 |
- |
142 |
2-6-0 |
D&B |
1875 |
|
20 |
Silverton |
53 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
21 |
Pitkin City |
54 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
22 |
Crested Butte |
55 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
23 |
Grant |
56 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
24 |
Buena Vista |
57, C&S 1 |
2-6-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
25 |
Alpine |
240 |
2-8-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
26 |
Rico |
241 |
2-8-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
27 |
Roaring Fork |
242 |
2-8-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
28 |
Denver |
243 |
2-8-6T |
Mason |
1880 |
|
29 |
- |
156, C&S 21 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
30 |
Morrison |
157 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
31 |
Hilltop |
158 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
32 |
- |
159 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
33 |
Webster |
160, C&S 3 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
34 |
Alma |
161, C&S 17 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
35 |
Dillon |
162, C&S 22 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
36 |
- |
163, C&S 18 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
37 |
- |
164, C&S 19 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
38 |
Chihuahua |
165, C&S 20 |
2-6-0 |
Brooks |
1882 |
|
39 |
- |
109, C&S 4 |
2-6-0 |
Cooke |
1884 |
|
40 |
- |
110, C&S 5 |
2-6-0 |
Cooke |
1884 |
|
41 |
- |
198, C&S 37 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
42 |
- |
199, C&S 38 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
43 |
- |
200, C&S 39 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
44 |
- |
201, C&S 40 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
45 |
- |
202, C&S 41 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
46 |
- |
203, C&S 42 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
47 |
- |
204, C&S 43 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
48 |
- |
205, C&S 44 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
49 |
- |
206, C&S 45 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1883 |
|
50 |
- |
190, C&S 30 |
2-8-0 |
BLW |
1880 |
|
51 |
- |
191, C&S 31 |
2-8-0 |
BLW |
1880 |
|
52 |
- |
192, C&S 32 |
2-8-0 |
BLW |
1880 |
|
53 |
- |
193 |
2-8-0 |
BLW |
1880 |
|
54 |
- |
194, C&S 33 |
2-8-0 |
BLW |
1880 |
|
55 |
- |
195, C&S 34 |
2-8-0 |
BLW |
1880 |
|
56 |
- |
196, C&S 35 |
2-8-0 |
BLW |
1880 |
|
57 |
- |
197, C&S 36 |
2-8-0 |
BLW |
1880 |
|
58 |
- |
207, C&S 46 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
59 |
- |
208, C&S 47 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
60 |
- |
209, C&S 48 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
61 |
- |
210, C&S 49 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
62 |
- |
211, C&S 50 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
63 |
- |
212, C&S 51 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
64 |
- |
213, C&S 52 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
65 |
- |
214, C&S 53 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
66 |
- |
215, C&S 54 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
67 |
- |
216, C&S 55 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
68 |
- |
217, C&S 56 |
2-8-0 |
Cooke |
1983 |
|
69 |
- |
111, C&S 6 |
2-6-0 |
Cooke |
1884 |
|
70 |
- |
112, C&S 7 |
2-6-0 |
Cooke |
1884 |
|
71 |
- |
113, C&S 8 |
2-6-0 |
Cooke |
1884 |
|
72 |
- |
114, C&S 9 |
2-6-0 |
Cooke |
1884 |
|
73 |
- |
115, C&S 10 |
2-6-0 |
Cooke |
1884 |
|
74 |
- |
116, C&S 11 |
2-6-0 |
Cooke |
1884 |
|
D&RG 163 |
- |
Leased 1885-86 |
4-6-0 |
Baldwin |
1882 |
|
D&RG 164 |
- |
Leased 1885-86 |
4-6-0 |
Baldwin |
1882 |
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DSP&P RR PASSENGER CARS 1874 -
1889 |
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Body |
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ORIG # |
TYPE |
1885, 1899. 1906 |
LENGTH |
MFG |
BUILT |
|
1, Auraria |
Combine |
700, 122, 22 |
35 |
Hallack |
1874 |
|
2, Denver |
Coach |
= |
? |
Hallack |
1874 |
|
3, Geneva |
Coach |
63, 160, 56 |
40 |
Barney&Smith |
1878 |
|
4, Halls Valley |
Combine |
64, 158, 77 |
40 |
Barney&Smith |
1878 |
|
5, Leadville |
Coach |
65, 159, 57 |
40 |
Barney&Smith |
1878 |
|
6 (No Name) |
Combine |
701, 123, 23 |
35 |
DSP&P |
1879 |
|
7, Como |
Coach |
56, 154 / 129, 28 |
40 |
DSP&P |
1879 |
|
8 (No Name) |
Chair |
702, 124, 27 |
40 |
DSP&P |
1879 |
|
40 |
Baggage |
1000, 102, 1 |
34 |
DSP&P |
1879 |
|
41 |
Baggage |
1001, 103, = |
34 |
DSP&P |
1879 |
|
42 |
Bag-Mail-Expr |
1300, 113 / 105, 4 |
39 |
DSP&P |
1879 |
|
South Park |
Sleeper |
176, 1, B-1, 910 |
42 |
Pullman |
1879 |
|
Bonanza |
Sleeper |
177, 146 / 116, 41 |
42 |
Pullman |
1879 |
|
San Juan |
Sleeper |
= |
42 |
Pullman |
1879 |
|
Leadville |
Sleeper |
179, 148 / 118, 43 |
42 |
Pullman |
1879 |
|
9 |
Coach |
57 / 708, 128, 29 |
42 |
DSP&P |
1880 |
|
10 |
Coach |
58 / 709, = , = |
42 |
DSP&P |
1880 |
|
2 (2nd) |
Coach |
55. = , = |
35 |
Gilbert, Bush |
1880 |
|
11 |
Coach |
54, = , = |
35 |
Gilbert, Bush |
1880 |
|
12 |
Coach |
50, = , = |
35 |
Gilbert, Bush |
1880 |
|
13 |
Coach |
51, = , = |
35 |
Gilbert, Bush |
1880 |
|
14 |
Coach |
52, = , = |
35 |
Gilbert, Bush |
1880 |
|
15 |
Coach |
53, = , = |
35 |
Gilbert, Bush |
1880 |
|
16 |
Coach |
59, 155, 50 |
35 |
Bowers, Dure |
1880 |
|
17 |
Coach |
56, 156, 51 |
35 |
Bowers, Dure |
1880 |
|
18 |
Coach |
68, 163, 79 |
42 |
Pullman |
1880 |
|
19 |
Coach |
69, = , = |
42 |
Pullman |
1880 |
|
20 |
Coach |
66, 162, 78 |
42 |
Pullman |
1880 |
|
21 |
Coach |
67, 161. 59 |
42 |
Pullman |
1880 |
|
22 |
Coach |
61, 157, 52 |
35 |
Bowers,Dure |
1880 |
|
23 |
Combine |
703, 126, 25 |
35 |
Bowers,Dure |
1880 |
|
24 |
Coach |
62, = , = |
35 |
Bowers,Dure |
1880 |
|
25 |
Combine |
704, 126, 24 |
35 |
Bowers,Dure |
1880 |
|
43 |
Bag-Mail-Expr |
1301, 114, 13 |
42 |
Pullman |
1880 |
|
44 |
Bag-Mail-Expr |
1302, 115, = |
42 |
Pullman |
1880 |
|
26 |
Coach |
705, 127, 26 |
40 |
Ohio Falls |
1880 |
|
45 |
Baggage |
1002, 104, 2 |
34 |
DSP&P |
1880 |
|
050 |
Officer |
025. = , = |
43 |
DSP&P |
1880 |
|
051 |
Pay |
026, B-2, 911 |
36 |
DSP&P |
1880 |
|
Hortense |
Sleeper |
=, (NdeM) |
42 |
Pullman |
1882 |
|
Kenosha |
Sleeper |
=, (NdeM) |
42 |
Pullman |
1882 |
|
27 |
Coach |
70, 164, 80 |
42 |
Pullman |
1884 |
|
28 |
Coach |
71, 165. 81 |
42 |
Pullman |
1884 |
|
0515 (Box) |
Business |
025(2nd), B-3, 912 |
26 |
DSP&P |
1886 |
|
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DSP&P RR FREIGHT CARS 1874 -
1889 |
|
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|
ORIG # |
TYPE |
1895 # |
LENGTH |
MFG |
BUILT |
|
1-99 |
Flat |
3000-3032 |
26 |
Hallack |
1874 |
|
60-68 |
Caboose |
1500-1520 |
16 |
DSP |
1879 |
|
69-75 |
Caboose |
ditto |
16 |
UP |
1880 |
|
76-82 |
Caboose |
ditto |
16 |
UP |
1883 |
|
100-299 |
Flat |
3033-3036 |
26 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
100-299 |
Coal |
8036-8038 |
26 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
300-399 |
Coal |
8114-8213 |
26 |
UP |
1882 |
|
400-467 |
Coal |
- |
26 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
468-499 |
Coal |
8039-8069 |
27 |
UP |
1883 |
|
500-504 |
Box |
24075-24081 |
23 |
Hallack |
1874 |
|
505-511 |
Reefer |
24000-24011 |
26 |
DSP |
1880 |
|
512-514 |
Box |
24000-24011 |
? |
? |
? |
|
515-529 |
Box |
24000-24011 |
26 |
B&S |
1878 |
|
530-554 |
Box |
24082-24103 |
26 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
555-559 |
Reefer |
24000-24011 |
26 |
DSP |
1880 |
|
560-739 |
Box |
24104-24275 |
26 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
740-799 |
Box |
24276-24470 |
27 |
UP |
1883 |
|
800-849 |
Box |
ditto |
27 |
UP |
1882 |
|
850-889 |
Box |
ditto |
27 |
UP |
1883 |
|
890-919 |
Charcoal |
24041-24074 |
31 |
UP |
1883 |
|
920-969 |
Box |
ditto |
27 |
UP |
1883 |
|
970-1049 |
Box |
24471-24558 |
30 |
Peninsular |
1884 |
|
1050-1064 |
Reefer |
24012-24026 |
27 |
St Charles |
1884 |
|
1080-1099 |
Box |
24559-24570 |
30 |
Peninsular |
1884 |
|
1100-1199 |
Flat |
3037-3322 |
? |
? |
? |
|
1200-1206 |
Stock |
18000-18006 |
26 |
DSP |
? |
|
1207-1208 |
Stock |
18007-18008 |
26 |
DSP |
? |
|
1209-1299 |
Flat |
8250-8364 |
30 |
Peninsular |
1884 |
|
1300-1343 |
Coal |
8070-8113 |
27 |
UP |
1884 |
|
1344-1443 |
Coal |
8900-8999 |
30 |
Peninsular |
1884 |
|
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DSP&P RR
MOW CARS 1874 -
1889
|
|
0724 |
Box / Tool Car |
02513-02514 |
26 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
0477 |
Flat / Truck Car |
02515 |
27 |
UP |
1883 |
|
0692 |
Derrick Outfit? |
? |
26 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
0125 |
Derrick Tender? |
? |
27 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
0103 |
Derrick |
02510 |
26 |
Litchfield |
1879 |
|
== |
Flanger |
05-08 |
? |
UP |
1885-87 |
|
011 |
Rotary Plow |
064, 01, 99200 |
33 |
Cooke / Leslie |
1889 |
|
== |
Pile Driver |
02505 |
? |
? |
? |
|
== |
Boarding |
02501-02504 |
? |
? |
? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DSP&P TIMETABLES 1888 and 1898

DSP&P SCHEDULE 1880


Railway
Pages Index |