One of the most beloved attractions in the Colorado Springs area, the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, is scheduled to be rebuilt.
The railway recently ordered a cograil system, a snow removal system, nine passenger cars, and three engines from a Swiss manufacturer as part of the reconstruction, which carries a $100m price tag.
Last month, Stadler Bussnang AG announced it had received an order for the equipment. Charlotte Thalhammer, speaking on behalf of Stadler, said the company would manufacture the parts at its Switzerland plants, though no delivery schedule has been devised.
The cog railway is owned by Oklahoma Publishing Company, which also owns The Broadmoor resort. The publishing company's CEO, Gary Pierson, said the nine-mile railway will be demolished in the spring, with Stadler delivering replacement rails later in the year. The passenger cars, locomotives, and snow removal systems will be delivered periodically into early 2021. When an attraction like this does open, operators can use banner printing to create decorations to celebrate.
Pierson said the order had to be given to Stadler, since this is the only company in the world that makes the equipment needed for the cog railway. There are only 42 cog railways in the world, including the one on Pikes Peak. The Pikes Peak Cog Railway deteriorated to the point where it had to be shut down in 2017, but is now set to reopen in May 2021.