History
The Alpine Tunnel was "holed through" on July 26, 1881. Location of the tunnel portals and establishing a center line of the bore were completed in December 1879. Construction of the Alpine Tunnel took place between 1880–1881, by Cummings & Co. Construction company. This was the highest and most expensive tunnel built up until that time. It exceeds two miles (3 km) above sea level, with its highest point at 11,523.7 feet (3,512.4 m). It is 500 feet (150 m) under Altman Pass, later to be named Alpine Pass to prevent confusion, with a 1,825-foot (556 m) bore. It took 18 months to complete, with most of the construction done during the winter months.
It was abandoned in 1910 by the Colorado & Southern due to minor damage in the tunnel and it not being worth repairing with a lack of traffic as the line failed to get much further beyond Gunnison on the west side. The Gunnison Division of the Colorado & Southern was abandoned from St Elmo, Colorado on the east side of the pass to Quartz on the west side. The Line from Quartz Pitkin, Colorado to Baldwin was given to the Denver & Rio Grande Western in exchange for some little used lines around Leadville.
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