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Colorado's Loneliest Railroad San Luis Southern By P R Bob Griswold w/ dust jack
Colorados Loneliest Railroad San Luis Southern By P R Bob Griswold
Hard cover with Dust Jacket
Copyright 1980 FIRST EDITION
190 Pages
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction1
The Grand Beginning3
The Constant Struggle21
Bankruptcy, Boettcher and the Taos Route51
Surviving, Not Expanding97
The Southern San Luis Valley Railroad127
Appendix163
Bibliography185
Index187
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction1
The Grand Beginning3
The Constant Struggle21
Bankruptcy, Boettcher and the Taos Route51
Surviving, Not Expanding97
The Southern San Luis Valley Railroad127
Appendix163
Bibliography185
Index187
"Colorado's Loneliest Railroad" is a history of the San Luis Southern Railway, the San Luis Valley Southern Railway, and the Southern San Luis Valley Railroad all corporate names for the standard gauge railroad that ran almost due south from Blanca, Colorado. The railroad began operating on April 14. 1910, and the remainder of the line still operates at Blanca in Colorado's huge San Luis Valley.
The San Luis Southern was built to serve the towns and farms of the Costilla Estates Development Company. a business organized to sell the lands of a part of the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant. The railroad was completed to the New Mexico state line serving the towns of San Acacio, Mesita, and Jaroso, all built as part of the Costilla Estates Development. Although the history of the Costilla Estates and its three towns is closely related to the history of the railroad, the emphasis of this story is directed toward the railroad's history.
The "Southern." as it was known locally, served its region well: however, the railroad seldom made any money. The inevitable result was bankruptcy in 1924. The railroad operated in receivership until 1928 when Charles Boettcher bought and reorganized the corporation as the San Luis Valley Southern Railway. Boettcher utilized every means at his disposal, including bus and truck service to Taos. New Mexico. and a planned rail extension to Questa, New Mexico to make the railroad a profitable operation. The Depression ruined these ambitious plans and the railroad resumed its previous unprofitable operation.
In 1949 the San Luis Valley Southern applied for abandonment, but new, local management was able to keep the railroad operating. In 1953 the present corporation was formed, the Southern San Luis Valley Railroad. The southern twenty-nine miles of track were abandoned in 1958 leaving only two miles in operation from Blanca.
Today the railroad is even shorter serving just two industries, but in a profitable and interesting manner.
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