Fort Worth and Denver Railway
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Company |
| Founded | May 26, 1873 |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Fate | Merged into Burlington Northern Railroad |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth, Texas , United States |
Area served | Northern Texas, connecting to Colorado and Southern Railway |
Key people | Grenville M. Dodge (president from 1895) |
| Products | Freight and passenger rail services |
| Parent | Colorado and Southern Railway (from 1899), Burlington Route (from 1908) |
The Fort Worth and Denver Railway, often referred to as "the Denver Road," was a prominent Class I rail carrier in northern Texas from 1881 until 1982, playing a crucial role in shaping local settlement patterns and fostering economic development.
Initially incorporated as the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Company (FW&DC) by the Texas Legislature on May 26, 1873, the company underwent a name change to Fort Worth and Denver Railway Company (FW&D) on August 7, 1951.
Its principal route stretched from Fort Worth through cities such as Wichita Falls, Texas, Childress, Texas, Amarillo, Texas, and Dalhart, Texas, extending to Texline. At Texline, it connected with its parent line, the Colorado and Southern Railway. Both railroads became subsidiaries under the Burlington Route umbrella in 1908.
By 1970, FW&D managed 1,201 miles of mainline track covering 1,577 miles of total trackage and reported hauling 1,493 million ton-miles of revenue freight. A decade later, in 1980, the operated mileage slightly decreased to 1,181 miles; however, freight ton-miles surged to 7,732 million.
Construction
Although delayed by the financial crisis known as the Panic of 1873, actual construction commenced in 1881 when Grenville M. Dodge—the chief engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad and an instrumental figure in the original transcontinental railroad—formed the Texas and Colorado Railway Improvement Company. Dodge raised capital amounting to $20,000 in stock and bonds per mile for constructing and equipping the FW&DC.
That same year, FW&DC entered into an agreement with the Colorado-based Denver and New Orleans Railroad Company to link their networks at the Texas-New Mexico border. The FW&DC did not receive state subsidies except for right-of-way easements totaling approximately 2,162 acres.
Work began at Hodge Junction near Fort Worth on November 27, 1881. By September 1882, Dodge had completed 110 miles reaching Wichita Falls. The line extended to Harrold by 1885; Chillicothe in 1886; Clarendon and Amarillo by 1887; finally arriving at Texline in 1888. On March 14 of that year, FW&DC connected with the D&NO at Union Park near what is now Folsom, New Mexico—528 miles from Fort Worth.
Operations between Fort Worth and Denver officially started on April 1, 1888. Dodge assumed the presidency of the company in 1895 while maintaining interests across several railroads.
Expansion
In 1899, the FW&DC was acquired by the Colorado and Southern Railway (C&S), which had succeeded the D&NO. Subsequently, C&S was purchased by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1908. Nevertheless, all three companies continued operating as distinct legal entities due to Texas legislation mandating that railroads functioning within the state maintain headquarters there—ensuring full ownership remained within Texas jurisdiction.
As the first railroad to penetrate northwest Texas territory, FW&DC was integral to urban development in Wichita Falls, Childress, Amarillo, and Dalhart. The railway also actively supported agricultural advancement by distributing free seeds and tree seedlings to local farmers to encourage cultivation of cotton and wheat while promoting erosion prevention.
By 1940, through either construction or acquisition of branch lines, the Burlington-controlled system operated substantial main track mileage within Texas alongside the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad. The FW&DC leased several vital routes: Fort Worth and Denver South Plains (completed in 1928), spanning from Estelline to Plainview and Lubbock; Fort Worth and Denver Northern (finished in 1932), running from Childress to Pampa; and Fort Worth and Denver Terminal for accessing Fort Worth’s rail yards. These initiatives were undertaken by the parent company.
Feeder lines managed by Wichita Valley Railway Company—a subsidiary of C&S—interfaced with FW&DC at Wichita Falls. These included routes between Wichita Falls and Seymour; Seymour to Stamford; Stamford to Abilene; Stamford to Spur; as well as Wichita Falls to Byers and Waurika, Oklahoma. In 1952, these feeder lines were consolidated into the Fort Worth and Denver Railway.
In 1925, FW&DC extended its service from Fort Worth to Dallas, Texas utilizing trackage rights over the Rock Island Railroad. At Dallas, FW&DC connected with the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad, enabling through service continuing on to Houston, Texas.
Passenger trains
The premier passenger service operated by the FW&DC was the sleekly designed Texas Zephyr (trains #1 and 2), which ran the Dallas to Denver route from August 22, 1940, until September 11, 1967. Other prominent services included the Gulf Coast Special (#7, Denver to Dallas), the Colorado Special (#8, Dallas to Denver), the Sam Houston Zephyr (#3 and 4, connecting Ft. Worth, Dallas, Teague, and Houston), as well as the Twin Star Rocket (#507 and 508). Additionally, motorcars provided service on lines between Childress and Lubbock and between Wichita Falls and Abilene.
Peak and decline
During its zenith in 1944, amid the economic surge of World War II, the Texas Railroad Commission documented FW&DC’s freight earnings at $12.1 million, passenger revenues at $5.8 million, and other income totaling $1.5 million. By 1972, with growing competition from highway travel and airlines, FW&DC managed a fleet of 20 locomotives and 1,520 freight cars but suffered a financial loss amounting to $1.74 million.
Successor companies
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, Great Northern Railway, and Northern Pacific Railroad consolidated into Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) in 1970. Nonetheless, their subsidiaries operating in Colorado and Texas remained independent until BN acquired FW&D through its merger with the Colorado and Southern Railroad on December 31, 1981. The formal integration of FW&D into Burlington Northern took place on December 31, 1982.
Currently, the former FW&D main line running through the Texas Panhandle and North Texas serves as an essential corridor for BNSF Railway—the successor to BN—primarily transporting coal and intermodal freight between Fort Worth and destinations in the western United States. Union Pacific Railroad retains trackage rights on the segment from Fort Worth to Dalhart. Passenger train operations were discontinued in 1967 prior to Amtrak’s establishment in 1971.
Rails to trails
In 1989, BN discontinued use of the former Fort Worth and Denver South Plains segment stretching from Estelline to Lubbock. Subsequently, in 1993, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired a portion of this corridor to develop the Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, featuring hiking and biking trails. Among its highlights is the notable Clarity Railroad Tunnel.
The Saints' Roost Museum located in Clarendon maintains a restored depot originally belonging to the Fort Worth and Denver Railway.