Pikes Peak Cog Railway's New Coaches Arrive From Switzerland
MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - The Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway is chugging closer to reopening after receiving its new coaches from Switzerland. The railway has been closed for the past three years as it undergoes $100 million in renovations to fix the roadbed, tracks, cogs, railcars and the depot.
That included getting new engines and rail cars from Switzerland. Those railcars arrived at the end of March. The engines were already being tested on the 8.9-mile climb to the top of Pikes Peak.
That testing process is called "commissioning" which involves running the train so the performance can be evaluated then making any adjustments needed. The railway has posted video of the trains on the move on its Facebook page.
You can see how the engines can go through a light snowfall on the track without needing a snowblower.
It's not just the rail line that's getting an update. Work is also being done on the depot.
The summit of Pikes Peak is closed to all visitors until May 23 for the final construction of the new Summit Complex. The old Summit House is also being demolished.
The new complex is expected to open early in the summer and the cog railway should making its journey up the side of Pikes Peak by then.
