Westcliffe Branch Facts
From: Texas Creek, CO
To: Westcliff, CO
Miles: ~25
Built: 1900 (SG)
Abdn: 1938

The D&RG had originally reached Westcliffe and the Wet Mountain Valley via the narrow gauge Grape Creek Branch, but after repeated washouts, the route was abandoned in 1890. Ten years later, the Rio Grande tried again, building the standard gauge Westcliff Branch up from Texas Creek to Westcliffe. The new alignment was justified by booming silver mining above Westcliffe, and the valley turned out to be very suitable for agriculture as well. The route roughly followed Texas Creek and Colorado Highway 69 between the two points, and was abandoned in 1938.

See pictures from Westcliffe today here.