 The Royal Gorge in 1886 Colorado. Competition to build a line through the Royal Gorge resulted in a railroad war in the late 1870s. | |
| Date | 1864-1912 |
|---|---|
| Location | United States |
| Participants | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Central Pacific Railroad, Sacramento Valley Railroad, Rock Island Railroad, Deschutes Railroad and the Oregon Trunk Railway |
Railroad Wars were business rivalries between railroad companies, which occurred frequently in American history. Although they were usually little more than legal disputes inside a courtroom, they sometimes turned into armed conflicts. There has been competition between railroad companies since the beginning of railroading in the United States, but violent confrontations were most common in the final quarter of the 19th century, particularly in the Old West.