Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway

Lee D. Jamison worked for the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog railway for 48 years. He started in June of 1911, and retired in October of 1959. He was a fireman until the first World War, and when he returned from the war in 1919, he became an engineer. In the next 40 years he made over 11,000 trips up and down Pikes Peak.

In 1935 he was was driving the #3 on August 24, 1935, when it jumped the tracks and ended up in the creek at Butterworth Flats. No one was hurt, and the photos of the wreck, and the rebuilding of #3 are included later in this file.

He was involved in the buiilding of #7, #8, #21, and the miniature cog train that ran from the Braodmoor to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, starting on May 30, 1937.

In 1947 Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy rode to the summit, and on June 11, 1938 Shirley Temple saw the first snow she had ever seen at Windy Point, after her ride on the Zoo Cog, and then the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway.

Lee had two sons who worked on the Cog Railway for many years, Tommy Jamison (George Thomas, of Grand Junction, Colorado) and Joe Jamison (Joseph Dare, of Old Colorado City). Richard also worked for the railway, and another son Lee worked for a short time in the shop.

Through their very generous contribution, we are able to bring you many of these photographs from the railway.

Jamison collection

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