The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway (also known as the Pikes Peak Cog Railway) is a cog railway that climbs one of the most iconic mountains in the United States, Pikes Peak in Colorado. The base station is in Manitou Springs, near Colorado Springs.
Construction on the line was started in 1889 and the first train reached the summit on June 30, 1891. Cog railways are common in Switzerland and found in other parts of the world (totaling about 50 lines), but this is one of only three such lines remaining in the United States, the other being the older Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire, and the short Quincy and Torch Lake Cog Railway.
The line would start at a depot in the town of Manitou Springs, located at an elevation of 6,320 feet (1,930 m), and climb 8.9 miles (14.3 km) to the summit of Pikes Peak at an elevation of 14,115 feet (4,302 m). The average grade of the line would be 12% but would top out at 25%..
Originally powered by steam locomotives, the line later switched over to diesel-powered locomotives and self-propelled railcars. The railway was closed between October 29, 2017, and May 20, 2021, for a complete refurbishment that saw the replacement of the track infrastructure, the rebuild of older railcars and the purchase of three new trainsets.
According to en.wikipedia.org. Source of photos: internet
