by Fred Hernandez
Thanks to the passion of a few concerned citizens in Custer County, important elements of the history of this area will be preserved for the benefit of many future generations. All Aboard Westcliffe (AAW) is a non profit 501 (c) 3 incorporated in 1990 with the mission to find, collect, restore and preserve historical locations, equipment and various other railroad paraphernalia related to the history of the arrival of the trains in Custer County in the late 1800s. The Denver-Rio Grande Western Railroad was the quintessence of mountain railroading back in the day with a charming motto of “through the Rockies, not around them” later shortened simply to “ mainline through the Rockies”. Also known as D&RGW it started as, what is called in the industry, a narrow gauge line which ran south from Denver serving as a transcontinental “bridge” to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1870. Its cargo was usually coal and minerals. It operated the highest mainline rail line in the continental USA going over the 10,240 foot high Tennessee Pass in Colorado not to mention its famed routes through Moffat Tunnel and Royal Gorge. In 1889 the D&RGW claimed the largest narrow gauge railroad network in the country with 1,861 miles of track interconnecting the tri-state area of Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.

In a recent interview with AAW Chair Sandy Messick the Sentinel learned a lot about the origins of the town of Westcliffe, which came to existence around the D&RGW terminal on what is now Main Street (#102), when the railroad management decided to serve the silver mining industry in Silver Cliff and the growing agricultural enterprises in the valley. The train came up along Grape Creek in the late 1800s. It crossed the creek about thirty times as it traveled. When there were washouts, which happened on a regular basis during certain seasons, its progress was considerably slowed down until it was decided to stop the service altogether. In 1900, D&RGW took a second look at the valley and started its service once again. In 1901, it was serving the mining and agricultural industries moving lots of cattle, peas, cauliflower and lettuce. At some point in the 1930’s service to Custer had become no longer viable financially and D&RGW petitioned the government to allow them to cease operations to the area. In 1937 that petition was granted, the trains stopped coming and the tracks were pulled up and carted away. The railroad did leave some of their memories behind however and, although it took a while, some local residents started getting together and talking about the old days when the trains stopped at the old Westcliffe station on Main Street. Before too long talk turned to action and All Aboard Westcliffe was established as a non-profit corporation. Slowly they took stock of what assets they had on hand. Not knowing if they would be able to acquire the depot on Main Street, they built a replica depot in what is now Heritage Center on Rosita Road. Eventually, in 2013, they did obtain the building on Main Street which had undergone a myriad of changes over the years; from being a home, a museum, a garage or just sitting empty for years. With generous help from the community they reopened to the public in 2018.
Recently the AAW received a Facade Grant from the Town of Westcliffe for the improvement of their properties in the commercial areas of town. This grant will go a long way for the preservation and beautification of the old building making it “prettier” and safer. Among the activities planned for the coming months there will be a Pancake Breakfast on July 4th from 7 to 10 a.m. (before the big parade down Main); on the menu: all you can eat pancakes, biscuit and gravy and sausages. Ten dollars for adults and five for kids under twelve.
Also on July 2-4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., there is a Craft and Flea Market at 110 Rosita Road. The Yard Sale is also at 110 Rosita Road.
Come and support All Aboard Westcliffe as they preserve Custer County history through their efforts in preserving the history of Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. ALL ABOARD!