Plan To Rebuild Cog Railway Chugs Ahead
MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- The cog railway may be chugging up Pikes Peak again thanks to a plan that would rebuild the rails.
The Manitou Springs City Council gave preliminary approval on Tuesday night for the project.
The historic railway closed in early winter for maintenance, so engineers could take advantage of the slower season. However, crews soon realized more serious repairs were needed on the 127-year-old train, which is owned by The Broadmoor.
A big problem – many of the parts aren't made anymore and engineers on those types of trains are based mainly in Europe.
It would cost close to $100 million to make repairs to the railway. The city is proposing tax breaks for the rebuild.
The railway has been safely taking visitors on the nearly nine-mile trip from the base of Pikes Peak to the 14,110-foot summit and back since 1891.
If the plan is approved by the city council, work could begin on the railway in August with the reopening scheduled for 2020.