Mystery ROW

[Tim B]

Hi Guys,

I received an email recently asking me for information in regards to a ROW in the Platte Canyon area. At first I thought they were talking about the C&S ROW but that was incorrect and now it is a real mystery to me. So I thought I would check on here to see if anyone was familiar with this ROW in questions. Below is the description given in the email:

"The ROW I am talking about never had a track on it and never had a road on it. Let me try to tell you where the ROW is:  Do you know where Grouse Mountain is across the highway quite a ways from Glenisle, or where Split Rock is up quite a ways behind the Platte Canyon School?  That is the area where part of  this old railroad ROW is, probably a good 2 or 2 1/2 miles back from 285.  The right of way started about Crow Hill or Crow Gulch and took the HIGH straight route from there all the way to Long Meadows or almost to Grant.  It missed the town of  Bailey and Glenisle completely. That was the point of the ROW.  I do not remember if I ever knew for sure what railroad owned the ROW but was told it was not Midland or CS or DSP&P.  I do know it still exists and could be used as a highway ROW now.  Why they decided to go through Bailey and Shawnee and that part of the canyon probably had to do with the resorts and hotels they wanted to build for their profit.  I hope you or someone can research this a bit and tell us all of the ROW, it is there, I have seen it, it still exists."

[ComoDepot]

So this goes from the top of Crow Hill west, into where there is a sub division. There is a road in that direction that dead ends.

So how does he or she expect a train to have got there? The old trail from Denver to South Park so of follows the current US 285 and anybody who has driven it knows it is not a rail friendly option, now there were no end of proposed never built grades but never seen one in that area.

And from the west end how how would it have gone further west?

The upper Platte is an obvious route down and once you get to Bailey becomes too narrow which is why the old trail diverted.

I do know someone who lives in the area and might know what this is.

[Southpark]

This mystery ROW sure sounds like it parallels the far reaching proposal of Colorado Department of Highways proposal of the US 285 to bypass Crow Hill and Bailey.  The real question is this an extension from Morrison?
Tom Klinger

[ComoDepot]

I have seen plans the Highway Dept had for 285 through Bailey whilst the Railroad was still running, they were prepared when closure came.

Just trying to think where else they could have come down. somewhere by Shawnee?

[Tim B]

Well, it sounds like it could have been the start of a new 285. However, we don't know for sure.

Still a Mystery, for now.

Thanks guys and Happy New Year.

[TennPass]

I like to find, follow, and investigate CO RR ROW's on Google Earth so this thread intrigued me a little, knowing there wasn't supposed to be any thing in that area. Unfortunately not being in CO trying to locate some of the areas named produces locations very far away from where the OP talks. So Google Earth doesn't always recognize local nomenclature.

Como, you said if you head directly west of Crow Hill you run into that development, but I'd take a stab in the dark that "ROW" in question is thought to be a little South West of directly across from Crow Hill.

If you go west from Crow Hill you run into the 285/72 (Old US Hwy 285...old name may be key here?).  This loops south, crosses 285 and becomes Crow Valley Rd.  This generally runs South West until it does a 180* loop.  Crow Valley Rd heads directly south before crossing 285 again, becoming Lower Crow Hill Rd, rejoins 285 again, and you can make the assumption it once connected to Main St into Bailey before 285 came through and dissected it all.

( QUESTION:  Was old 285/Crow Valley Rd/Lower Crow Hill Rd/etc the stagecoach road to Bailey from Denver?   With the sweeping gentle curves it generally has all the evidence of a NG ROW, and the 180* loop gives that idea a bit more credence. But this would imply its undocumented graded ROW that never became anything...)

Go back to the 180* loop and directly off that a dirt road heads North West from it  (Is this Crow Gulch???).  This is what I'd speculate as the ROW the OP is posting about.  This goes from dirt road, to dirt trail, to barely traceable tracks through the gulch.  These traceable tracks generally keep North West and never lend a notion to heading back towards Shawnee or Grant.

The problem is, it stays on the North side of the mountain range and there isn't a way to cross it and get back down to Shawnee (would require a lot of back tracking) or Grant without tunneling.  I've measured out the OP's suggested ~2mile distance from the backside of the Platte Canyon School and it puts you smack dab into that gulch I'm speaking of, so those clues line up.

Once you follow those trails up to Crooked Top Mountain they kinda lose all credibility of being a ROW though.  Searching the mountain sides between there and Shawnee down to Grant though don't produce anything that could be mistaken for a ROW to either place, just trails down gulches.  If it was an unused but graded ROW that could serve as a highway today I'd say that observation is grossly over exaggerated.   Either way I can't find evidence of this ROW other than what "may have been" something coming off that 180* loop, and only then if that road had a NG connection....

[ComoDepot]

I was nearly in that area yesterday, the first part of the last train film shows a bus going down Old Crow Hill and parts of the road are still there. Now it has been straightened and is a long steep drop.

Either way I find it difficult to imagine how a practical grade could be built. Somebody I know has a Model T and told me he has to go up Crow Hill in reverse, lowest gear.

I will be in Bailey this afternoon, not sure if I will have time to go look, the road to the west of the Loaf and Jug/Library.

[Jeff Ramsey]

 Historical Trail Map Denver
Hope this helps with that mystery Tim.

Then link on to Plate 1 You can download a PDF.
This extremely accurate USGS map overlay show all known recorded wagon, toll roads, stage stops, non existent town not to mention railroads and stations. All this is dated. Not linked is a book that goes into details history. PM Tim Bain.

[TennPass]

That link doesn't work for me.

[cdressel]

Try this link
https://store.usgs.gov/assets/mod/storefiles/PDFX/28820_sheet1.pdf

[Todd Hackett]

cdressel wrote

Try this link
https://store.usgs.gov/assets/mod/storefiles/PDFX/28820_sheet1.pdf

That link seems to be for a lower-resolution rasterized copy with limited detail. I think Jeff's links are just missing a colon. Try this link for the 1999 map, or this link for an older 1977 version that is just the map and covers less area. Pick the Plate links to see the maps, or right-click and pick "save link as..." (with Windows - I'm not sure how to do it on a Mac) to save the pdf directly to your hard drive. Or to bypass the USGS site (click to open in browser, right-click to save to your computer):
First plate of the 1999 map
Second plate of the 1999 map
Entire 1977 map