Existing comment:
Pikes Peak Cog Railway
Manitou Springs, Colorado
built 1891
Prior to 1891, the only way to reach the summit of Pikes Peak was via mule. But thanks to Zalmon Simmons, founder of Simmons Beautyrest Mattress Company, the Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway Company was established, and on the afternoon of June 30, 1891, the first passenger train reached the summit. By operating on a cog railway system, the Pikes Peak passenger cars are able to ascend steeper inclines than conventional railroads. The cogs, acting as teeth, grip the racks, allowing the rail cars to a climb a 16 percent grade at 9 mph.
The unhurried climb gives passengers a chance to witness the beauty of the natural surroundings. From the grasslands, dominated by two grasses -- buffalo (Buchloe dactyloides) and blue gramma (Bouteloua gracilis), tourists can observe the distinct changes in vegetation as the railcar enters the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. At the depot, located at an elevation of 6,571 feet, visitors can glimpse ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa), Rocky Mountain junipers (Juniperus scopulorum) and sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). |