The Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad

[ROMO]

Greetings once more, it's me, Andrew Wolf. I have several inquiries regarding the Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad. According to a comment from a kind individual on one of my posts, it appears that the Denver Utah and Pacific Railroad did indeed lay tracks to Lyons, Colorado, where trains would travel along it. Additionally, I am in need of photographs, postcards, and maps related to the Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad as it pertains to Lyons, and all of the different communities in Colorado that where along the old Railroad Right-of- way and the train line itself.

Did they ever extend the tracks beyond Lyons? Furthermore, did the Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad have any train depots, stations, roundhouses, turntables, transfer tables, engine sheds, machine shops, coal chutes, calling towers, coal tippers, water towers, stockyards, grain elevators, or mines? What other businesses did the Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad support?

Also, I keep hearing about a rock quarry that the Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad served. Can anyone provide photographs, postcards, and maps that feature this rock quarry alongside the railroad? What is the specific name of this rock quarry?

I hope someone can assist me. Sincerely, Andrew Wolf. Once again, I have another question regarding the Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad that constructed tracks to Lyons, Colorado. How much of the railroad was actually built, and did trains really run on the historic Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad? Best regards, Andrew Wolf.

[Todd Hackett]

I thought I had a booklet about the DU&P and Denver, Longmont and Northwestern, but can't find it at the moment. The line is covered briefly in most general Colorado railroad books. It was originally built from Longmont to Lyons in 1885 as narrow gauge. They operated a couple of Mason Bogie locomotives similar to those on the DSP&P. In 1889 it was converted to standard gauge with standard gauge track extended south to a junction north of  Denver. IIRC, it was acquired by the CB&Q and incorporated into their system. I'm pretty sure that it is still in operation as far west as the CEMEX cement plant just east of Lyons. I remember seeing trains in that area in the 1970s when it service a sandstone quarry in the same area, but the tracks into Lyons were long gone by then. The quarry was on the west side of US 36 as it approached St. Vrain Creek. I don't know the name of it's even the same one from DU&P days. The stone Lyon's depot is still standing here, although it appears to have been incorporated into a new building since I last saw it. The track never went very far west of the depot. Model Masterpieces produced a kit of this depot in HO scale back in the 1960s or early '70s. That was one of my first model building experiences. I don't have any detailed maps or information on their customers or train schedules, which were probably pretty limited and certainly varied over time.

[Ken Martin]

Here is a picture of the Lyons Depot.

One of the Mason Bogies went east and ran on the Burlington and Western.
A couple of pics of it.

Ken Martin