In the 1880s, choosing narrow gauge railroads in Colorado’s mountains opened trade across the state and helped drive economic growth for generations. In 1863, Congress set the standard gauge for railroads in this country at 4 feet 8½ inches, but the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad instead adopted a 3-foot gauge for its system. Narrow gauge tracks could negotiate the turns around mountains, canyons, and cliffs where standard gauge rails would not work. As railroads opened the way, telegraph and electric lines followed, and miners, farmers, and cattlemen benefited as the economy thrived.