News Release

National Park Service and City of Montrose Celebrate Train at Cimarron

Park Ranger Paul Zaenger speaks in front of Denver and Rio Grande railroad set

NPS Photo by Sandra Snell-Dobert

News Release Date: July 31, 2019

Contact: Sandra Snell-Dobert, 9706412337227

In the canyon at Cimarron, just below the Morrow Point Dam, Engine 278, its tender, a boxcar and caboose sit on a truss bridge perched high above the Cimarron River. This train exhibit represents the work and lifestyle of the Western slope, from carrying stock to carrying passengers, through the upper reaches of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
 
Engine 278 was built for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1882 to pull trains on the narrow-gauge rails that ran from Crested Butte to Gunnison and Montrose. The engine was “retired” in 1952 and given to the City of Montrose.  The Pratt Truss Bridge that sits over the river was built in 1895 to replace the original wooden trestle. 
 
The twenty-seven properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Montrose County include the Truss Bridge and seven train cars located in Cimarron, CO. When the Denver & Rio Grande Depot in Montrose is added, fully one-third of the properties listed on the National Register in Montrose County relate to the Denver and Rio Grande. This places Montrose County among the vanguards of Denver & Rio Grande Railroad history in the nation.
 
Thirty people gathered near the train on the morning of Tuesday, July 30, to celebrate the restoration of the engine and its attendants, as well as the bridge on which it sits. Curecanti National Recreation Area Superintendent Bruce Noble thanked two staff members who were key in the eight year, one and half million dollar project. Forest Frost, Archeologist, carried the load as the project lead, managing contracts and overseeing every step of the restoration. Joe Fox, Roads and Trails Foreman, oversaw the crane operations that resulted in the four train cars being placed back on the truss bridge in the fall of 2018. Mr. Noble also thanked the City of Montrose for their partnership with the NPS and challenged the audience for ideas on how to best preserve the train in the coming years.
 
Judy Ann Files of the Montrose City Council recounted childhood memories of the engine as it sat in Montrose prior to 1974 when it was moved to Cimarron. Engine 278 and the caboose are owned by the City of Montrose, as is the tender that sits just behind the engine.
 
Park Ranger Paul Zaenger recounted the many ways that Engine 278 and the train sets it pulled, enriched the lives of Colorado residents. He profiled railroad worker Joe Heard and shared the stories of Frank Cavaliere whose dad was a Section Boss on the Cimarron section of rails. Paul emphasized that Engine 278 spans some seven generations, a powerful reminder of the impact of trains and rails in the west.
 
The National Park Service, under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, used fees collected at parks to fund the restoration of the engine, cars and truss bridge.
 
The train display is open every day in the canyon at Cimarron. Visitors and area residents are encouraged to stop by, step out of their vehicles, and listen carefully to the river and the wind. Perhaps you will hear the echo of the whistle as Engine 278 rounds the bend.