Capture of Raton Pass

[DwightBranch]

There are several threads dealing with Raton Pass here, and a few articles on the News Wire.

[travelingengineer]

Though others surely are aware of, and perhaps already discussed, this in the past, I am delighted to read of the "capture" by a motley midnight crew of hired teen-agers (first come first served at Wootton Ranch) of the Raton Pass trackage rights by Santa Fe ahead of D&RG in 1878. This is very briefly but well recounted in the Stephen Fried title, APPETITE FOR AMERICA: HOW VISIONARY BUSINESSMAN FRED HARVEY BUILT A RAILROAD HOSPITALITY EMPIRE THAT CIVILIZED THE WILD WEST (2010), on pages 56-58.