515 Ruxton Avenue
Manitou Springs, CO , 80829-1921 Phone: (719) 685 5401 Website 1889, the Manitou & Pike's Peak Railway Company was founded and track construction began. On the afternoon of June 30th, 1891, the first passenger train, carrying a church choir from Denver, made it to the summit. Conventional railroads use the friction of wheels upon the rails, called "adhesion", to provide locomotive power. A cog railroad uses a gear, "cog wheel", meshing into a special rack rail (mounted in the middle between the outer rails) to climb much steeper grades. An adhesion railroad can only climb grades of 4 to 6%, with very short sections of up to 9%. A cog railroad can climb grades of up to 48%. The Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway is the highest cog railway in the world as well as the highest railway in North America and the Northern Hemisphere.
To get to the Railroad, take exit #141 (US 24) off I-25, go west on US 24 (toward mountains) to Manitou Avenue. Tale the (Manitou Springs) exit. Go west on Manitou Avenue to Ruxton Avenue. Turn left and go to top of Ruxton Avenue. There is a lot of good signage for the railway.
There are two machines at this location. There are also two machines at the gift shop at the cog railway destination of Pike's Peak summit (Listed under Pikes National Forest Summit House Gift Shop).
Several different designs (Colorado, Pikes Peak, and Manitou Springs) of penny collector's books are also sold here for $4.95 plus tax.
You do not have to purchase a train ticket to get to or use the machine. Operating times and rates vary to ride the train: check the website or call first.
Parking passes are required to park on their property. Parking passes are $5.00 per car/motorcycle and $10.00 per RV.
Machine 5: outside near restrooms (2021)
1) 'Pikes Peak Colorado;, Prairie Dog,
2) 'Pikes Peak Colorado', Image of Mountains,
3) 'Manitou - Pikes Peak Cog Railway', Railroad cars on tracks,
4) 'Cog Railway Manitou - Pikes Peak', Train car on tracks.
Machine 6: outside up red stairs at west end of train platform (2021)
1) 'Manitou-Pikes Peak ;, Train,
2) 'Cog Railway', Image of Train Station,
3) Railroad Logo
4) 'Pikes Peak', Big Horn Sheep.
G.P.S. coordinates: Latitude: 38° 51' 21.765" Longitude: -104° 55' 52.9026"
Retired Machines:
Retired 1: 1) 'Pikes Peak Cog Railway 14.110 FT', building,
Retired 2: 1) 'Pikes Peak Cog Dog', 2) Pikes Peak Cog Railway Colorado 14,110 ft', Rail engine, 3) Pikes Peak Cog Railway 14,110 FT', building, 4) Pikes Peak Cog Railway Colorado 14,110 ft', Railcar,
Retired 3: 1) (H) Cog Railway logo with 'Cog Wheel Route Manitou and Pike's Peak RT.', 2. (V) Train image inside cog with 'Pikes Peak Railway Manitou Springs CO. 14,110 ft.', 3) (V) Dog dressed in conductor uniform with 'Cog Dog Pike's Peak', 4) (H) Train car with 'Manitou Springs Colorado Pike's Peak Railway'.
Retired 4: 1) (V) Marmot with 'Yellow-Bellied Whistling Marmot', 2) (H) Train ascending the mountain with 'Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway', 3) (H) Mountains with 'Pikes Peak Elevation 14,110 ft.', 4) (H) Three big horned sheep with 'Rocky Mountain Big-Horn Sheep Pikes Peak Elev. 14,110 ft.'.
3/29/24: Machine 5 is out of order. The back of the machine is off and the coin payment mechanism is missing. We were still able to squish pennies with the help of a staff member. Even with help, it was rolling a bit short.
Machine 6 works fine.
Did not see the coin book in the shop. |
