The Pikes Peak Cog Railway

     Dating back to 1889, the Pikes Peak Cog Railway has taken visitors from all over the world to the top of our famous Pike’s Peak! Full of history and fun, our railway has been under construction the last few years with plans to reopen later in 2021. If you haven’t made your way up America’s Mountain, then you will want to add this to your Colorado bucket list for sure! Take a trip on the train and enjoy the mountains and views and learn about the rich history of our area!

     The construction of our beloved railway began in 1889, and used a total of six steam engines up to the Halfway House Hotel and back. You can still see these locomotive engines downtown in Manitou Springs, the Grand Canyon Railway and at the Broadmoor Hotel. The first passenger train didn’t make it up to the actual summit of Pike’s Peak until June 30, 1891—almost 130 years ago! Gasoline and diesel trains later made it to the railway in the 1930s, making the trip up the mountain a little less tedious by removing the time-consuming water stops and shoveling of coal. As tourism increased in the 1960s, updates were under way by Mr. Martin Frick who continued his work on the railway over the next 30 years, bringing fun and joy to the locals and tourists who visit Pike’s Peak.

     In the Spring of 2018, the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway shut down for evaluation and hasn’t been up and running since then. Fortunately, the railway is receiving updates to its infrastructure and equipment so that we can soon book a ticket for a ride up the mountain. In December of 2020, the tracks near the depot were being replaced, which means they were almost done! The new trains have been ordered and are on schedule to be delivered sometime this Spring. The depot itself is also receiving a facelift with new restrooms being added. It won’t be long before the train is providing fun to the public again!

     Even if you have had the pleasure of using the train before it shut down in 2018, you will want to take a trip on the new train system and see all the wonderful updates to the depot, gift shop AND summit house at the top of our beautiful Pike’s Peak. We are sure you will remember this adventure years from now—so be sure to sign up for updates so you can be one of the first people to take a ride on the new train!

     Do you have memories from the Cog Railway? Tell us about them!