RR Stop ... Kipling Colorado

Kipling, Colorado

          Kipling was a wannabe RR town, where not much happened.  When the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific built to the Rocky Mountain goldfields, it was also building towns along the way.  These little villages would become customers of the railroad and also provide a place for maintenance crews. 

          When Kipling was platted out, that was the purpose.  A section crew and control point.  A siding was put in along with a depot and control signals.  There probably was also a couple of house built for the RR crews to live in. 

          Kipling is located on the eastern banks of the Republican River, overlooking the valley.  There was a trading post down in the valley that wanted the railroad to stop there but stopping at the bottom of a hill is not what they want to do.  So the Rock Island put their stop on top of the hill.

          With the passing siding at Kipling, EB trains could build up extra steam for their run across the valley, Highball down hill and have enough momentum to easily climb up to the other side.  WB trains could pull into the siding and await the high flying EB. 

Today, there are not much of any reminders that there had been a little spot on the rails.  The signal lights lay in the weeds along side the rails and there is a country grade crossing of the rails. Traffic noise from the nearby Interstate rolls over the land, blending with the prairie breezes. 

Markers from the dirty 30’s still remain alongside the RR ROW.  The snow fence that had been built to protect the tracks is now buried under drifts of blow dirt.   Posts partially peering out of the drifted dirt. 

Besides the railroad going through the area, the Indians lived in the valley for generations.  Later the French would show up and begin trading with the Indians.  This area was part of the Louisiana Purchase.  The Spanish also traveled along the river, spying or checking on their neighbors. 

Next was the wagon road to the gold in the Rockies and then the Leavenworth Stage line, traveled the valley, with a stage station just below the ridge.  It had been a busy area, with a wide assortment of travelers.  Today the train still trundles down the rails, four a week and the occasional local passes thru. 

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