The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad's entrance to Alamosa marked the start of the San Luis Valley's development. A work train arrived in Alamosa in late 1877, and the first passenger train reached this spot on July 4, 1878. The depot was completed in 1893, destroyed by fire on December 25, 1907, and replaced by a new brick depot completed in October 1909 at a cost of $17,500.00; after almost 100 years, the building still existed with remodeling to fit Alamosa County's needs. Standard gauge rails arrived in 1897, and Alamosa began to grow, becoming the narrow gauge capital of the world. As many as six passenger trains left Alamosa daily, chiefly on the route to Denver, with an occasional train to Pueblo, while daily trains also traveled to Salida, Gunnison North, Durango, Farmington, Santa Fe, and Creede, and several freight trains departed each week to all points. Travelers could go by coach or take a night Pullman to Denver. The depot contained a baggage coach and a U.S. Post Office to dispatch mail, though the railroad's main use was to supply service to Denver; a letter for supplies could be mailed on the late train to Denver and the supplies received in baggage within 2 days. Alamosa served as the service point for all of Southwestern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. At one time, more than 2,000 employees worked in the railroad shops building cars and coaches and assembling steam engines. The railroad reached its peak in the 1920's and 1930's.