Over the last couple of weeks I made a traverse of a couple of sections of the Colorado Division former main line, first from Ordway (milepost 849) to the current end of track where the MP once ran parallel with ATSF east of Pueblo. There are no real lineside structures left, but the right of way and track is in decent shape, if a little weed-grown. All the signals that still exist have their heads turned to the north, but most seem to be mechanically intact. The relay boxes are mostly open and the doors are falling off in many cases, and all the copper wiring presumably disappeared long ago. There’s a dead ex-CN engine on a siding at Ordway, but no other rolling stock that I saw.

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By contrast, the line between Scott City (MP 682) and Horace (MP 731) is positively lively. There are covered hoppers everywhere, which you’d expect since wheat harvest has finished. The signals are every bit as out of service here as farther west, but they’re more intact. Still it’s pretty obvious that there’s no wiring there. I found culverts with dates from 1915 to 1960, including one small one that is now flanked by two larger ones. one on each side, installed in 1940, that were basically built over the older one.

The Scott City depot is still there and apparently in use, although its eastern (express) end was amputated years ago. And, one of the two steel rebuilt boxcars that I shot twenty years ago is still there. This car evidently got assigned to MoW duty a long time ago, although it was never renumbered. It’s in the company of a Jordan spreader that looks a lot like one of the later MP ones, but it’s ex Santa Fe 19923_, builder’s number 1904 if anyone cares to run it down.

The Horace depot is also still standing, but abandoned. It has a couple of doors open and is inhabited by birds, so there’s poop all over the interior walls. Most of the interior is more or less intact. Horace also has a rebuilt box, probably the very last piece of equipment actually with an StLB&M number. It’s shoved off at the tail of the wye. I believe both of these cars have been mentioned before. Interestingly enough, both were repainted in 1956 after their 1950 rebuild date.

RG7