Working on the Railroad

The river continually attacked the rail bed in the canyon, and slumping soils on the hills near Cerro Summit pushed tracks toward nearby creeks, making it a constant battle to keep the tracks east and west from Cimarron in good working shape. Denver & Rio Grande repair crews used Maintenance of Way cars as homes away from home. Inside these converted boxcars were coal-burning stoves, closets, and sinks, but living conditions were primitive, with fresh water held in a tank and no built-in bathrooms aboard. D&RG Car #04414 housed as many as 18 workers until a foreman took it over, making the car his office and a home for his whole family while at the work site. Maintenance of Way cars were parked on sidings to keep the main line clear so trains could keep rolling.

Colorado · United States