Raton Pass

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The Raton Pass ( 2,350 m above sea level) is a transition in north-south direction between the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. About him of Interstate Highway 25 from Denver, Colorado runs to Santa Fe, New Mexico and on to Albuquerque. Since December 19, 1960, the pass is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

In the 19th century was a route of the Santa Fe Trail, the first trade route between the United States and the then Mexican Southwest, over the pass. As part of the ongoing colonization of the West, he was part of the main connection on the eastern edge of the Rockies. 1878 was the pass the scene of an economic war between the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway ( ATSF ) and the smaller Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad ( DRGW ) over the right to use the transition. As ATSF a gang hired gunslingers and simultaneously ran DRGW the money ATSF prevailed.

Because the slopes of the Raton Pass with up to 3.3% were particularly high, the company extended to 1908 the route network in 1883 bought Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway from Amarillo, Texas to ATSF main line in the valley of the Rio Grande and dealing so the Raton Pass for trains from the East. 1930 managed to ATSF for the north-south connection through the pass particularly powerful type locomotives Texas.