I love history, and especially Colorado and railroad history. I’m going to try to tell a story which is long and involved, in a short column. In 1893, all railroads west of the Front Range (Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo). were narrow gauge, which is 3 feet between rails, as opposed to ’standard gauge,’ which is 4’ 8 1/2″. ’Standard gauge’ is what all railroads are now, with the exception of about 250 miles of 3 foot, narrow gauge, remaining in western Colorado, which is among the richest in history and scenery anywhere in the world. The reason all railroads west of the Front Range were narrow gauge, was because the gold and silver mines were in full bloom, and were located in tiny little towns perched high in the mountains, and narrow gauge was far easier to build and run than standard gauge. The problem with narrow gauge, of course, was that when the ore came down, or supplies had to go up to the mines and towns, the stuff had to be transferred from standard gauge to narrow gauge or the reverse. That was a an expensive time and labor consuming problem. In 1893, an enterprising fellow, who found sufficient capital and backing, had an idea to build a standard gauge railroad across and through the high passes, to eliminate the problem. It started at Colorado Springs, and ended at Grand Junction, Colorado. It was a much shorter route by well over a hundred miles, but was a difficult route, which meant crossing passes of over 12,000 feet, and lots of difficult snow plowing. It was basically single track with lots of passing sidings. It was called the “Colorado Midland.” My wife and I, plus thousands of rail fans in Jeeps can drive over the abandoned route today, and it is really a breathtaking ride.
The ’Midland’ was working. It had a difficult start, since it was competing with the well established and well capitalized, narrow gauge, Denver and Rio Grande, but it was working. Heavier rails were being laid, and a new, lower elevation tunnel had been drilled at the highest crossing of the mountain range. Passenger trains were running, and freight was being hauled, and at a profit. Then, Woodrow Wilson, mistakenly, got us into World War One in 1917. Believe it or not, the Wilson Administration NATIONALIZED AMERICAN RAILROADS! Railroad presidents, managers, and operators, no longer ran their railroads. A bureaucrat in D.C. did it for them. Railroads were placed in the hands of William Gibbs McAdoo (1863-1941). McAdoo married Wilson’s daughter, was a lawyer, Democrat, and was deeply imbedded in D.C. He ran the Federal Reserve, and was a U.S. Senator from 1933-1938. A devoted Roosevelt advocate, naturally. Just think of the power trip for a man who knew absolutely NOTHING about railroads.
McAdoo thought, as do all Democrats, that the railroads and everything else, would be far more efficient if government ran them. Sound like Obama? The rail traffic was intense during that nutty war, because trucking was minimal then, as were highways. Practically everything had to move by rail. McAdoo looked at the map of Colorado, and made an incredible discovery! The Colorado Midland had a more direct route from east to west and vice versa, than did the Denver and Rio Grande. The orders went forth from D.C. Ship all freight, troops, and everything else, by the Colorado Midland! The Rio Grande was a well oiled machine by 1918. It had a 2,000 foot lower pass to cross, had been standard gauged and even double tracked most of the way. The Midland was not a well oiled machine, but was being improved as fast as capital was available. The Midland was suddenly swamped with business it couldn’t handle. Trains were stuck everywhere on the line. It was like suddenly taking Interstate 70, and forcing its traffic onto a one lane road. McAdoo found out about the snarl, and suddenly forced all rail traffic onto the Denver and Rio Grande. This left the Colorado Midland with no freight, no passengers, and no business, but with bills to pay, bond holders to pay, interest to pay, and improvements to pay for which had begun. It quickly became a disaster for the Midland. Colorado Senators rushed to D.C. to explain, and describe what McAdoo had done. No use. No one would listen. Suppose a bureaucrat or president, forced all shopping to be done at Walmart, and no where else. Suppose the D.C. power mad Democrats decided to commandeer the medical profession? Had McAdoo ever ridden a train? Had he ever seen or been in the Colorado Rockies? Did he know the difference between standard gauge and narrow gauge? Did he understand single track and double track? Did a 12,000 foot high railroad pass mean anything to him?
The Colorado Midland went bankrupt. It had no business, because of the Wilson Administration, and Wilson’s daughter’s husband, William Gibbs McAdoo. A wonderful railroad with wonderful scenery, great potential, and normal development, went out of business, and its bond holders, stock holders, and those owed money, lost everything. A potentially great, profitable railroad, destroyed by Democrat goons in D.C. The last train ran in 1920, and the rails, locomotives, and everything salvageable was sold to pay the debts. A beautiful Midland passenger car has been restored, and is at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden Colorado. The abandoned right of way is a wonderful Jeep tour. A railroad, conceived and built with private capital, was a success, but destroyed by all powerful government, who knew nothing about what it had taken over by force. A government who thought it could look at a map, and 2500 miles away, operate and dictate a railroad’s total operation.. All railroads had been nationalized, and McAdoo caused them lots of grief and confusion also, but none had to be abandoned and ruined completely, as did the Colorado Midland.
Today, we are seeing just the beginning of Obamacare, and like the Colorado Midland, it will cost the bankruptcy of thousands of doctors, hospitals, and medical providers. As usual, government thinks it can operate 6% of the national economy and make it work better than its individual operators and providers. Disaster is ahead. Have a happy New Year!