In the 1880's, one of the many tourists who visited the Pikes Peak Region was Zalmon Simmons, founder of the Simmons Bedding Co., yes…the Beautyrest mattress guy. 

Mr. Simmons rode two days to the summit of Pike's Peak on a mule but wanted to experience the trip in a more civilized and comfortable way, so he built a railroad!

On June 30th, 1891, the steam engine powered passenger train, carrying a church choir from Denver, made it to the summit of Pikes Peak by train. A previously scheduled group of dignitaries had been turned back earlier in the day by a rockslide at about the 12,000 foot mark. Regardless, the railway was now operational!

Steam has given way to diesel engines driving electric generators to power the trains but the cog gear system is still moving passengers smoothly from the bottom to the top and back again.