Have You Seen the Ghost of Western Colorado’s ‘Engine 107’?
The ghost of Engine 107, an old steam locomotive from the late 1800's that made a run through Western Colorado, still haunts the tracks just outside of Grand Junction. Have you seen it?
Crews used to fear riding the old "Dread 107," claiming it was the deadliest engine on the tracks. Engine 107 has killed more than her fair share of engineers and passengers, but somehow managed to remain among the living. She was finally scrapped in 1909, but her image and whistle can still be seen and heard to this day on tracks between Grand Junction and Gunnison.
In fairness to Engine 107, she first earned her moniker with a disaster which really wasn't her fault. Engineer Bill Duncan and several crew members and passengers were killed when the engine went over a washed out bridge. While several passengers died, Engine 107 survived, and was returned to service with a new crew.
Next, the passengers and crew of Engine 107 would meet their maker when she struck a huge boulder on the tracks. While human casualties were high, Engine 107 managed to escape death. She returned to service again, only to meet with another disaster only three short months later.
While making her way through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison with Engineer Bratt in command, she was burried by a snowslide. According to GORP, this was ultimately the end of the line for Engine 107. The D&RGW railroad finally decided to decommission Engine 107 in 1909.
The phantom of Engine 107 is said to be seen along the old Denver and Rio Grande tracks between Grand Junction and Gunnison. The engine's whistle has frequently been heard near the Gunnison River and Crystal Creek.
To be perfectly blunt, my dad was an engineer for the D&RGW railroad for over 30 years running those very same rails. According to him, he never saw anything regarding the ghost of Engine 107. As a matter of fact, he had never heard of it. The same can be said for Ray Poarch, a railroad employee who repaired those very same tracks for decades.
Have you ever seen the phantom of Engine 107? If so, please share your story.