Leaving the tunnel at one of the highest points of U.S. Denver, South Park & Pacific RR, a locomotive leaves the portal on a 24-degree curve. The track is coming out from under the Continental Divide at 11,000´. Looking down, trees looked like tufts of carpet below.

It's little Book Cliff #4 in a Book Cliff's sunset just north of Grand Junction, Colorado. It was very important getting the first coal delivered from here in 1900. It brought it down about 1000 feet in 12 miles, but only 3 miles as the crow flies.

Rio Grande mid-train helpers are needed for the steep grade. With the different levels of shade and light, I felt that doing the watercolor impression of the scene was in order. Soldier´s Summit is made up of a number of horseshoe curves.

The New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad has always had the finest overhead wire railroads in the U.S.   And at night, reflections from the train lights made it especially brilliant and electric to see. Smoke of the phantom steamer splashed reflections everywhere in this light.

Consider that old railroad lantern´s legacy, its history in commerce, and the movement of goods throughout the years. The brakeman and his swinging lantern helped move more tonnage by rail than all of preceding history of moved commerce.

The Crystal River & San Juan at Redstone, Colorado has Coal Basin narrow gauge rails meeting on dual gauge rail with Mudhens, named by the crews in 1899. These little Baldwins were among the very first outside-frame locomotives.

Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad had the most elegant engine house ever built for Narrow Gauge railroading. Built of stone without mortar, this building stood for 25 years and was formidable in size at 54´ x 153´. It was later destroyed by fire in 1906.

The Colorado Midland is famous for bringing its standard gauge rail over the Rockies. Its western terminus was located at Grand Junction, Colorado. I painted this watercolor as if I was an eagle. The refrigerator was unique, due to the Indian painted on its side. The cliff by the edge was a thousand feet down.

Nos. 50 and 51 by Baldwin covered these 7% grades well for the UINTAH R.R. This railroad is famous for what Sam Gilson discovered here, gilsonite, a tar-like rock used for five patents by the government, one of which was used for paint for the first Model T´s black color.

The Rio Grande RR ran Lake City to Sapinero near Gunnison, CO, with the same engineer from 1888 to 1922, when he retired. It was his locomotive. He wouldn´t run it unless it was clean. His grandson is a friend of mine.