Mountain Man Gallery

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Trains, Books and History

About the Gallery

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Mountain Man Gallery! Mountain Man Gallery in Como Colorado

Mountain Man Gallery keeps the history of the area alive with books, photo prints, and art, reminding the visitor of the bustling Railroad Days.

The Town of Como was founded and named by Italian miners arriving in 1871 to work the King Coal Mine just south of the area. They ultimately named the town after Italy's Lake Como. A decade later, the Denver South Park & Pacific Railroad extended its South Park Line narrow gauge track to Como.

DSP&P South Park Line The Pacific Hotel and the Como Roundhouse were both completed in 1881, two years after the South Park Line finally reached the town. The plan was to extend the South Park Line west to Leadville. The little coal mining town seemed the logical place for the terminal. After some original right-of-way agreements collapsed, the DSP&PRR built the "High Line" route over Boreas Pass to Breckenridge, then entered the Leadville district from the north. DSP&P service to Leadville was completed in September of 1884. (History continues below)

1940s era Lionel Model Train Engine #258 (track included) Mouseover for larger image (Contact us for price)

Como and its Roundhouse reached peak operation over the turn of the century. Then, in 1910, the Alpine Tunnel through the Divide closed from a cave-in, blocking the South Park Line's access to Gunnison and their ultimate goal - the Pacific. Eight years later, the roundhouse was cut down to 3 bays as traffic dwindled. A fire in 1935 burned the remaining bays to the ground.

The last scheduled passenger train left Como, Colorado on April 10, 1937. A year and a half later, on September 2, 1938, the last work train left Como as the track was pulled up behind it.

Almost fifty years later, the Como Roundhouse was registered as a national historic site. A year after that, William Kazel bought the roundhouse and soon began a challenging restoration project, later joined by Dr. Brannigan who invested in the property and the project.

Como, Colorado - Images and History

Map of the South Park Line

	The Trains Don't Need Me Anymore by David Gardner Mountain Man Gallery carries art and memorabilia from the railroad days of the last century and the history of Como	Como Freight Depot by Rita Derjue
	For more art by Rita Derjue, David Gardner and others, please visit our Framed Art and Prints pages.

(Mouseover to enlarge)	This Hornby LMS Model 2270 clockwork train set dates back to the 1940s (Contact us for price)
Only part of the set is lined up here. More cars and equipment come with the set (see image below)
	This set is complete with the original box and track (image left)