The Denver Terminal Railway Company serves as one of the Arvada Western Railroad’s most important interchange partners along Colorado’s Front Range, providing a critical bridge between regional industry, connecting short lines, and the larger western rail network. Interchange operations between the two railroads occur regularly throughout the week, with traffic ranging from heavy industrial commodities to maintenance and infrastructure materials required by customers located along the Golden and Kountry Subdivisions.
A significant portion of the traffic exchanged with The Denver Terminal Railway Company consists of agricultural commodities moving south from the farming regions of northern Colorado toward the breweries and food processing facilities located in Golden. Unit grain trains and smaller cuts of covered hoppers loaded with wheat and barley are regularly interchanged for delivery to local malt houses and brewing operations, reflecting the long-standing connection between Colorado railroading and the state’s agricultural industry. During harvest season, these grain movements become some of the busiest and most recognizable traffic operating across the subdivisions.
In addition to agricultural service, the Denver Terminal Railway also handles a variety of through freight movements operating over the Kountry Subdivision en route to Tennessee Pass and western Colorado connections. These trains frequently consist of mixed freight, coal train movements, manifest traffic, and maintenance equipment transfers moving between regional carriers and mountain rail operations farther west. The rugged geography and heavy grades associated with Tennessee Pass make these trains a distinctive part of operations, often requiring additional locomotive power and coordinated dispatching through The Denver Terminal Railway system.
The Denver Terminal Railway additionally serves as an important bridge carrier for freight traffic interchanged with the Fortland Central Railroad in northern Colorado. Rail cars moving between the Arvada Western, Denver Terminal, and Fortland Central commonly include agricultural products, lumber, plastics, industrial chemicals, and general merchandise freight serving industries throughout the Front Range corridor. This steady flow of interchange traffic highlights the Denver Terminal Railway’s role as a vital regional connector, linking short lines, agricultural producers, and major freight routes across Colorado and beyond.
As operating requirements fluctuate, locomotive power from the Denver Terminal Railway is occasionally pooled with Arvada Western operations, particularly during periods of increased coal or industrial traffic. It is not uncommon to find patched Denver Terminal motors, worn SD units, or rebuilt road switchers temporarily assigned to Golden Subdivision locals or assisting with loaded Commache Coal trains climbing westward toward Georgetown. These locomotives contribute significantly to the rugged atmosphere and distinctly western character that defines railroading on the Arvada Western system.
In addition to locomotive sharing arrangements, the Arvada Western Railroad regularly leases and interchanges freight equipment from the Denver Terminal Railway Company as operational demands require. This equipment often includes older gondolas, ballast hoppers, maintenance service cars, and general-purpose bulk freight cars that continue to see productive service decades after their original construction. Many of these cars display heavy signs of long-term industrial use, including faded reporting marks, welded patch panels, replacement doors, and weathered paint schemes that reflect years of service across Colorado and the greater western rail network.
The close working relationship between the Arvada Western Railroad and the Denver Terminal Railway Company highlights the importance of regional cooperation among short lines and terminal carriers throughout the state. By sharing locomotives, freight equipment, and interchange traffic, both railroads are able to efficiently serve customers while preserving the practical, hard-working nature of modern short line railroading in Colorado.