Denver Rio Grande Rail Road Aspen branch history:

Since the construction of this railroad before the turn of the 20th century it has helped build and well served the Roaring Fork Valley:

• transported miners, families and visitors to valley towns,
including Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Redstone, Coal Basin and Marble;
• helped build these very towns by bringing in building materials, passengers, supplies;
• transported important personages, such as President Theodore Roosevelt;
• hauled millions of tons of coal, used in the production of steel
throughout the United States:
• carried tons of silver ore for use in minting U. S. coins;
• provided employment and income for valley families;
• hauled out tons of strawberries, potatoes and other agricultural products;
• carried marble blocks used in Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, the Lincoln Memorial, the Colorado State Capitol, Colorado State Museum, and hundreds of other statues and buildings.
• Hauled out iron ore mined from Snowmass Mtn. loaded at Woody Creek until 1986.
• Remained in operation until 1990 hauling coal from Carbondale load-out.

by  Jan Girardot