About the Arvada Western

The Arvada Western Railroad exists in an alternate timeline where parts of the historic Colorado & Southern narrow gauge network out of Denver, Colorado, were never dismantled but instead modernized and continue to operate into the present day.

In this reimagined history, the narrow gauge lines west (known as the Golden Subdivision) from Denver to Georgetown and Black Hawk, as well as the southern route (known as the Kountry Subdivision) through Kenosha Pass, Como, and down to the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Tennessee Pass (or in this reimagined history, The Denver Terminal Railway’s line), were converted to standard gauge. Rather than being dismantled in phases between 1910 and 1943 as they were in real history, these lines were upgraded in response to growing agricultural and coal traffic along the corridors.

As the Colorado & Southern was eventually absorbed into the Burlington Northern, and later the BNSF Railway, these upgraded lines began to be seen as non-core assets. The first to be sold was the Denver to Georgetown and Black Hawk route, the Golden Subdivision. With a decline in freight demand following the 2005 merger of Coors Brewing with Molson, as well as a broader drop in coal traffic from Georgetown due to changing energy policies and public sentiment favoring renewables, with also an interest in restoring passenger service along the corridor for light rail or commuter rail was on the rise in the greater Denver Metro area, the BNSF Railway sold the Golden Subdivision.

The sale of the Golden Subdivision would be the catalyst for the creation of the Arvada Western

Railroad.  To support the Arvada Western Railroad, a classification yard was constructed along the main line between Ralston Road and Tennyson Street in Arvada, Colorado. This facility, named Tennyson Street Yard, became a central hub for the Arvada Western’s operations. On the western end of the yard, the Ralston Maintenance Facility (RMF) was built, a state-of-the-art diesel shop that now serves both the Arvada Western Railroad and its parent company, Sur Rail based out of the same location.  Sur Rail operates several departments such as Operations & Maintenance (O&M), equipment leasing, and rail car pool. As a result, it is common to see locomotives or cars from a variety of railroads cycling through RMF for service or upgrades.

In 2015, BNSF Railway would sell off another line, known as the Kountry Subdivision, which runs from the Joint Line near 8th Avenue down to Antero Junction. With steep grades over Kenosha Pass and limited traffic in the eyes of the BNSF Railway, with primarily barley and wheat trains headed to

breweries in Golden, Westminster, & Idaho Springs at the time, the line would be viewed as a low-profit route by larger companies. Its sale completed the foundation of what is now the modern-day Arvada Western Railroad and providing a vital link through the front range of Colorado instead of going around it.

Website: arvadawestern.com