Colorado Springs and Interurban Railway
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Colorado Springs Rapid Transit Railway, Colorado Springs & Suburban Railway Company |
| Founded | 1902 |
| Founder | Winfield Scott Stratton |
| Defunct | 1932 |
| Fate | Ceased electric trolley operations; infrastructure dismantled in mid-1930s |
| Headquarters | Colorado Springs , United States |
Area served | Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, surrounding suburbs |
Key people | Winfield Scott Stratton (founder), A. G. Sharpe (president), D. L. MacAHree (general manager) |
| Products | Electric trolley transit services |
Colorado Springs and Interurban Railway (abbreviated as CS & IRR or CS&IR) operated an electric trolley network serving the Colorado Springs region from 1902 until 1932. The enterprise originated when businessman Winfield Scott Stratton purchased the Colorado Springs Rapid Transit Railway in 1901 and subsequently merged it with the Colorado Springs & Suburban Railway Company in 1902. The system provided transit services throughout Colorado Springs, its neighboring suburbs, and Manitou Springs. One of the streetcars initially commissioned by Stratton is recognized on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.
Background
The horse-drawn trolley service began in 1887 under the Colorado Springs and Manitou Street Railway, connecting downtown Colorado Springs to Colorado College. By 1888, this line extended northward and westward, operating ten horse-drawn trolleys. In 1890, the Colorado Springs Rapid Transit Railway was chartered and took over this operation, launching the first electric trolley route to Manitou Springs in October of that year, replacing horse-drawn vehicles with electric-powered trolleys. The company’s power station was situated at Moreno Avenue and Tejon Street, while administrative offices were located at 528 South Tejon by 1898. During that period, electric trolley routes reached west to Old Colorado City, east to Knob Hill, and extended to Cheyenne Park, also linking passengers to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger Depot. By the turn of the century, the fleet had grown to 44 electric trolleys serving these expanding corridors.
Interurban railway company
Following Winfield Scott Stratton’s acquisition of the Colorado Springs Rapid Transit Railway in 1901, he merged it with the Colorado Springs & Suburban Railway Company in 1902, creating the Colorado Springs & Interurban Railway Company. This merger enhanced infrastructure capabilities, including constructing a new power plant near the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad tracks, upgrading track systems, and establishing new terminal stations. By 1903, leadership included A. G. Sharpe as president and D. L. MacAHree as general manager. The company operated out of offices on Pikes Peak Avenue and maintained a car barn on Tejon Street.
At its height in 1911, the railway covered an extensive service area encompassing Colorado Springs and adjacent suburbs such as Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs, Ivywild, and Roswell. By 1917, its network extended approximately 38 miles of track with a fleet comprising 56 motorized cars and 13 trailers. The system connected residential districts with leisure destinations like Garden of the Gods Balanced Rock Station and Cheyenne Mountain Country Club, facilitating both daily commuting and recreational travel.
The rise in automobile usage led to decreased ridership after 1911, placing financial pressure on the company by the mid-1910s. As of 1916, operations continued from offices on South Tejon Street with multiple lines running through key commercial zones along a north-south corridor.
Adapting to shifting transportation trends, the company began substituting buses for railcars in 1931 and terminated electric trolley services by April 1932. The dismantling of railway infrastructure was carried out during the mid-1930s under the Works Progress Administration initiatives. Notably, the original power house location remains operational today as part of Colorado Springs Utilities’ electrical grid.
This interurban railway serves as a significant example of early twentieth-century urban transit evolution, demonstrating strategic management under founder Stratton and responsiveness to changing transportation demands within Colorado’s regional transit industry.
Cars 46-50
The initial five streetcars acquired by Stratton incorporated safety features like retractable Narragansett steps, windows that could be adjusted, and designated smoking compartments, representing a transition from wooden to steel construction. These vehicles, numbered 46 through 50, were built using the Brill convertible model from the Brill. Among them, Car 48 has been preserved and is officially recognized on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.
Car 59
Car 59, the final unit in a batch of nine cars produced by the Laclede Car Company (numbers 51 to 59), is currently being restored by the Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation, an institution dedicated to preserving the history of CS&I. This car is also listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Places.
See also
- Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway
- Cripple Creek Mining District, related to the Low Line/High Line
- Seven Lakes–Pike's Peak Railway Company