Woodland Park residents react to historic Pikes Peak Cog Rail car moving to new location

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (KRDO) - Residents of Woodland Park are now having to adjust to one of their favorite landmarks being uprooted and moved to a new location this week.

The retired Pikes Peak Cog railway car, named "Myrna" after the woman it was donated in memory of, has sat at the Midland Train Depot in downtown Woodland Park since 2019.

It was placed at that spot in town on behalf of the wishes of the family, set with the backdrop of the very mountain it carried passengers up for decades.

Now only a long patch of dirt remains, as the cog rail car was moved to a new location about five minutes down the road just off of Midland Avenue, and Highway 67.

The move was prompted by a land developer who bought the property that the car resided on, and after many back and forth discussions in recent years, the developer finally required that it be moved in March of 2024.

"We will do our best to preserve it and share it, which is our mission as a museum and the Ute Pass Historical Society." explained Donna Finicle, the head of the Ute Pass Historical Society and Pikes Peak Museum.

The City of Woodland Park's Director of Public Works, Ben Schmitt, tells KRDO13 that the developer who bought the land, provided the engineered plans for the parking lot redesign, free of charge to the City, and paid for the crane company to physically move the cog car to its new location.

Schmitt also said they then had to pay $30,725.10 for the site reconstruction work at the site, to include sidewalks, curb and gutter, and the ADA accessible viewing area. The City also provided all the traffic control for the move. He added that there is still additional landscaping costs that need to be spent to completed the site now that the cog is moved, and the City will be paying for those as well.

The Ute Pass Historical Society and Pikes Peak Museum, who has overseen the car since it was donated, agreed upon a new location with the City of Woodland Park, found right next to the Centennial Trail-head, as the next best option for passersby and tourists to soak in its historic aura.

Many in Teller County, and Woodland Park specifically, were up in arms on social media this week, expressing their disdain for new development in the city, and losing a landmark as a result of it.

"We understand why people are upset about this because the family wanted it and expected it to be in the location off of Highway 24," said Finicle.

Residents out and about on Friday afternoon told KRDO13, that they understand not everything can remain perfect.

"Landmarks, you shouldn't mess with them, so to speak. But everything grows, everything progresses,  everything gets bigger," said Amy Miller, a resident of Woodland Park, "And so you have to find that  balance, strike that happy balance between  keeping your landmarks and  building your  tourism." she added.

Meanwhile other residents, say the new location looks just fine.

"I think it's a great, it's getting a lot more attention, I think, out here where the traffic's going by and it's got a great view of the mountains... of course it probably did down there, too." said Michael Theimer, whose lived in Woodland Park for a total of 15 years.

The retired #15 car was originally built in Switzerland, and contributed toward many trips up to the top of Pikes Peak. The service first began in the 1890s before coming to a halt in 2017, where a massive $100 million dollar investment revived the cog rail, allowing it to reopen in 2021 and continue until present day.

The historical society explained that they have plans to open the car up to the public, just as it had been since 2019, and intend to add lectures, or informative sessions about the history of the car.

For now, the retired car and the rail beneath it, will settle into a new footprint, with a similar backdrop of 'America's Mountain'.