f you wander through High Line Railroad Park in Breckenridge, Colorado, you’ll find one of the region’s most charming pieces of railroad history: Colorado & Southern Locomotive No. 9, a narrow‑gauge 2‑6‑0 steam engine built in 1884 by the Cooke Locomotive and Machine Works. Once part of the Denver, South Park & Pacific line, this compact coal‑burning locomotive hauled passengers, ore, livestock, and everyday goods across some of Colorado’s most rugged terrain.
No. 9 became a fixture on the famous High Line, running over Boreas Pass—then the nation’s highest railroad pass at 11,493 feet—and serving Breckenridge until 1937, when it made its final passenger run from Leadville to Denver. After retirement from regular service, the engine enjoyed a second life touring major events, including the 1939 New York World’s Fair and the 1948 Chicago Railroad Fair, later operating on tourist railways from South Dakota to the Georgetown Loop in Colorado.
In December 2010, after decades of roaming, restoration, and display, Locomotive No. 9 finally returned home to Breckenridge, arriving at High Line Railroad Park—just steps from where it once steamed through town. Today it sits under a protective shelter, offering visitors a tangible connection to the grit, innovation, and adventure that defined Colorado’s early railroad era.
Whether you’re a history buff, a railfan, or simply exploring Breckenridge, Locomotive No. 9 stands as a beautiful reminder of the mountain railroads that helped shape the American West.
To learn more about Colorado & Southern or Denver, South Park, and Pacific railroads, visit the DSPP Historical Society web site.
