PIKES PEAK HISTORICAL STREET RAILWAY FOUNDATION

You can also read about our most recent mission update here in  Colorado Springs Business Journal article: 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pikes Peak Historical Foundation (PPHSRF) formed in 1983, with publication of Pikes Peak Trolleys by Morris Cafky and John H. Haney to preserve the history of the street railways in the Colorado Springs area. In 1990, Mr. Rex Dodson donated Colorado Springs & Interurban Railway (CSIR) No..59, our first streetcar. In 1994, we moved into the former Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific roundhouse built in 1888. When Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) PCC cars became available plus Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Clark B3 trucks to convert the Pennsylvania gauge cars to standard gauge our mission expanded to build a streetcar line from downtown Colorado Springs to Manitou Springs. The voters approved a charter to build the line and funds were raised for a feasibility study.

 

We leased former Ft Collins Municipal Railways (FtCMR) No. 22 and former Los Angeles Railways No. 3101 from the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club adding to our fleet. IBEW Local No. 113 and the Electrical Contractors Association donated $50,000 for restoration of the Birney. Negotiations with the City resulted in the new Colorado Avenue bridge being built to accommodate up to a 100,000 pound rail vehicles with lamp posts capable of supporting a catenary. The Manitou line reached the actual engineering work. 

 

Everything had moved forward until a combination of items halted the effort. The proposed line on Colorado Avenue went under I-25. When rebuilding I-25 in the area commenced Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) understandably did not want a 600 volt trolley wire in their construction site. Underground power and communication vaults were also in the way of one of the tracks. Then came a push for us to replace the old sewer line under Colorado Avenue. Potential donors were not going to contribute to that work.

 

Looking for alternatives a transit engineering firm offered pro bono to help us construct a demonstration line along I-25. That effort halted when the Union Pacific announced that not even the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in the Denver area would be permitted to build “near” the railroad right-of-way in the future. Our current site surrounded by railroad right-of-way precluded being able to build out to the city streets.

 

Meanwhile acceptance of streetcars returning to U.S. cities increased. A number of lines proved the benefits to restoring the economic viability of areas. In 2007, the business community expressed interest in a line in downtown Colorado Springs. A group formed in Colorado Springs 

With the local city bus transit system and the business community to commission a feasibility study for a, line in the downtown area. Using a combination of grants and contributions the study recommended such a like of about two miles length in 2010.

 

Our participation remained on the sidelines due to fear from some that our active participation would jeopardize getting Federal funding. The Feasibility Study recommended building a two mile line in downtown. The funds they hoped for the Environmental Impact Study, Alternatives Analysis, and other studies required by the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) did not happen. Even had those studies occurred the FTA for such projects required a 50% matching funds, not likely in Colorado Springs given other more urgent needs.

 

Meanwhile we’d managed to get Colorado Avenue and Nevada Avenue bridges rebuilt to accommodate rail vehicles, acquired over $4M worth of assets in the form of parts and restorable streetcars, and continued lur restoration efforts on two cars. Work continued on restoring the Birney, CSIR No. 135/FtCMR No. 22, now on the National Historic Register as the last Birney car to operate in revenue service in North America. Restoration started on CSIR No. 59, our Laclede  built for Colorado Springs. We managed to acquire CSIR No. 48, the oldest Colorado Springs car and originally a Brill No. 1 convertible, perhaps the only one left.

 

Our efforts for the streetcar line center moved to acquiring a property giving us access to the city streets without crossing any active rail line. Encountering various roadblocks the effort moved from one property to another. Typical for such projects. Two years were spent on a former rail yard when the railroad decided to retain the property. We switched to another property and that effort seems to be moving forward. Having been advised any Federal funding would raise costs by approximately 600% and the local economy our effort will be driven by private funding.

 

We now have the Colorado Avenue bridge and the North Nevada Avenue bridge over the former Rock Island track able to handle rail vehicles. Our assets exceed $.2M in value in the form of restorable streetcars, streetcar parts, and over two (2) track miles of 90 lb rail for our yards. Our staff includes people with experience in transit and rail operations, engineering, and business. A long hard effort may appears closer than ever to achieving restoration of street rail service to Colorado Springs using heritage and historic equipment.