The Ties That Bind - Railroads of the Colorado Eastern Plains with Barbara Louise Holmes

LIMON CO (IFS) A treaty had been signed in Washington and a reservation set up at Sand Creek. Water was an issue then and water is an issue now. There just isn’t enough of it. So where is the tie in between Indians, railroads and an ever expanding population? As far as the abandoned railroad line goes the tie in lies in chemistry. The word to ponder is alkali. Put two and two together and one comes up with a problem. Alkali and trains don’t mix. Once upon a time, trains needed water to function properly. So in the early days of the 1950’s this line was removed from active service. However, checking through the registry of abandoned rail lines, this line that stretches from Pueblo to Missouri was not listed. I love a mystery so that’s what prompted Ken and me to make another trip out to Eads. We decided to follow the line as far as Missouri, if necessary, to find out why. We really didn’t have to travel far from Sheridan Lake. In the town of Brandon which is situated just minutes from the Kansas border we came upon dozens of rusting rail cars. The graffiti which covers their sides does nothing to improve their appearance. The mystery was solved. These abandon tracks have now become the parking lot for countless derelict cars. As a result this line is not considered abandoned. Eye sore aside, I need to stick to the subject at hand which is water. I know it would be an exercise in futility to ask the railroad company why abandoned railcars dot the landscape not only here but elsewhere in Colorado. However, as I see it the problem is environmental. Rotting wood, rusting metal and whatever when mixed with rain water makes for an unhealthy cocktail. To add to the problem, this part of the world has an overabundance of natural minerals in its water table. Let’s take a closer look at water. Even though much of the earth is covered in water, only a small percentage of it is drinkable in its current form. So chemical contamination coupled with climatic forces and adding a population explosion can lead to a water problem. As I see it, a diminishing resource up against an increased demand for this finite resource could lead to murder.