In the Rocky Mountains, William Palmer's Rio Grande Railroad crew stands toe-to-toe against their rivals from the Santa Fe Railway, in a battle to claim the Royal Gorge, the key to rail expansion in the west. And the Denver and Rio Grande's territory was defined as Colorado and Utah.
Plan: A: the narrow Royal Gorge; Q: What did the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Denver & Rio Grand Railroad race to reach first? A: Royal Gorge; Q: What narrow gorge did the railroads race to reach first? A: Colorado; Q: What state is Leadville located in? A: silver; Q: What did Leadville strike in the 1870's? Summary: Rival railroads the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Denver & Rio Grand Railroad race to reach the narrow Royal Gorge first after Leadville, Colorado strikes silver in the 1870's.