New Plans Hinted At the Colorado Railroad Museum

Denver's Channel 4 (KCNC, nee KOA, currently branding itself as CBS Colorado) checked in at the Colorado Railroad Museum this past weekend and the museum is hinting at big plans. 

Follow Up: Transcontinental Railroad Symposium

As a follow up to my previous post from April 26, it's worth noting that the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden is conducting a symposium on the weekend of June 7-9 on the Transcontinental Railroad.

Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad with a decidedly Colorado twist.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday June 7-9, 2019

The top scholars in railroad history explore the struggles undertaken to build one continuous line of track from coast to coast and the resulting impact this had on our nation’s settlement and economy.

Speakers currently on the schedule include filmmaker Richard Luckin, David Bain, Peter A. Hansen, James Ehernberger, Kyle Wyatt, Dick Kreck, and Jim Wrinn, editor of Trains magazine. Of particular interest is Saturday afternoon when Al Dunton is scheduled to present The Colorado Connection, speaking on the Kansas Pacific and the Denver Pacific Railroads. Presiding, of course, is the director of the Colorado Railroad Museum, Donald Tallman.

The symposium will be held off-site from the museum for Friday and Saturday, and seating is limited. Reservations required by Friday, May 31, 2019, only 10 days from this post, so do not wait! Visit the event site for all official details.⚒

First Advertisements Of the Colorado Railroad Museum

As near as I can figure, I think I have found the first ad ever placed with Trains magazine by the Colorado Railroad Museum, all the way back in June 1959! Robert W. Richardson and Cornelius W. Hauck were fans before the end of the Rio Grande Southern broke the thousand-mile Narrow Gauge Circle, and they kept lit the flame of Colorado's railroad history even before they opened the museum that year.

They first had a go of it years before near Alamosa, operating the Narrow Gauge Motel, complete with steam engine and station. Often using their own funds, they worked to preserve railroad history without much else. They fought tooth and nail for artifacts and records from railroads and operators who couldn't understand why old forms and paperwork wouldn't just as well be burned with yesterday's trash.

This ad followed the next year in 1960.
I'm pretty sure the offer has expired!

Thanks to the work of these "rabid" fans, the details and means by which a lot of these railroads operated hasn't been lost to time. Most importantly, their efforts to build a place for future generations of railfans sits nestled between the table mesas of Golden as a Colorado railfan's paradise. It's here in the western reaches of metropolitan Denver that some of the next generation of railfans discover the mystique of faraway places like Marshall Pass, Cerro Summit, Ridgway, Rico, Pandora, Dolores, Mears Junction, and so many more. These aren't just places on a map; they're gateways to a time when the clang of a bell and the wail of a whistle echoed beckoning the willing to follow where the rails would lead.

In July 1960, barely a year after the ad, Trains published Cornelius Hauck's photo of the museum's modest beginnings in Golden. Sharp eyes will spot several "original" pieces still at the museum 57 years later.
Photo used with permission from Trains magazine.

What I appreciate about Richardson, Hauck and many others is that they didn't wait for someone to give them permission or a commission to go out and save the narrow gauge. They saw a need, looked around and then stepped forward to help. Common men doing uncommon things. ⚒

Rio Grande 491 Struts Her Stuff Around Her New Home

A little bird (not Twitter) whispered in my ear that the restoration of 491 by the Colorado Railroad Museum has got someone's attention down in Durango. Could be that the museum will be doing some work on another K-37 Mikado very, very soon.

I hope so. I hope they run her as well as her sister, too. What day is today? Thursday. Would you believe that contributing photographer found her pulling a load of passengers in a gondola? To my delight and our mutual pleasure, it was too good for John to pass up!

All three photos: John Hill

Get on down there this weekend for Father's Day. Tell them it would make you happy to see your kids in the caboose! Well, it would. Wouldn't it?⚒

Rio Grande 491 Operational! Celebrates with Tour of the Museum Loop

Ahem. After a few friends have poked me in the ribs, asking if I indeed knew this was happening at the Colorado Railroad Museum (I did, but family matters kept me away). I'm a little too excited, but I will keep my detached decorum. I will not geek out over a certain bit of news that just begs to be shouted from the summit of Mt. Elbert.

Instead... I will let the video speak for itself.

Just listen to that whistle halfway through. Oh, baby!◊

D&RGW 491 at No Agua tank on the museum grounds this summer
Photo: Colorado Railroad Museum

Free Admission Today At Colorado Railroad Museum

Just a quick reminder today that admission is free today at the Colorado Railroad Museum. For those who need the extra nudge, the savings would pay for gas for at least the Denver region. If you carpooled, it might even cover your lunch! Goose rides around the loop, if available, will still require the purchase of a ticket.

Admission is free at the museum because it receives funding from the Denver area Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Part of the requirements for SCFD is that since SCFD is funded by a public tax, the public should receive something back for what it has no choice about paying. Socialism has never been more cultured than in Denver.◊

Reader Poll On The Colorado Railroad Museum

The results are in with the reader poll. This was one of the longest running polls in CR history, running 200 days or 6 months, 2 weeks, 3 days (half a year, half a month and half a week!). The question was: If you had $5 Million to spend on the Colorado Railroad Museum, which options would you pick? While voters could pick more than one, they did weigh in with a majority. Here are the options ranked by total votes.

Rank	Option	Votes
1	Build a train shed, covered pavilion or super roundhouse to shelter a significant percentage of the museum's collection from the ravages of weather and exposure, preserving your collection and saving money in the long term.	57 (53%)
2	Purchase additional land to expand the museum grounds (GP30, SD40T-2 and others await restoration and display).	49 (46%)
3	Purchase right of way and build a spur to connect the BNSF Coors branch directly with the museum grounds.	39 (36%)
4	Restore a long tenured locomotive to life, such as D&RG 583, D&RGW 491, CB&Q 5629 or D&RGW 318	27 (25%)
5	Finance several main line steam excursions throughout the state to help generate awareness for the museum by showcasing some of its rail-worthy collection and hosting key donors on board.	13 (12%)
6	Fund the construction of a small satellite campus of the museum in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Montrose, Grand Junction or another city	8 (7%)

Thank you to everyone who voted!◊

POTD: Once and Future Glory

Our last POTD this week is from ...drum roll plea--nah, nevermind. It's Chris May again. But the theme has been a new way to look a things. Chris is good at making you look at things in a new way. He's not content to merely log photos as a scribe of the way things are; he's looking for ways to challenge himself creatively. That's what makes me a fan of his work.

The rusting cab of Denver & Rio Grande Western GP30 engine 3011 sits near the museum's
restoration roundhouse awaiting the day when she will be brought back to life again.
Photo: Christopher May

For today's photo, we return to the Colorado Railroad Museum on a different day, November 11, 2006. There is no title for it, but for me it speaks to the "once and future glory" that I believe in. Personal disclosure ahead, which may make you uncomfortable. You can skip to the next paragraph if you choose. A year to the day before Chris made this photograph, I was standing in front of over 1,000 people telling them about my young son's friendship with a six year-old girl, sharing the fun little things kids of that age do as a way of comforting them because that beautiful, vibrant and imaginative girl had passed away due to a freak medical condition that no one could have anticipated or avoided. She died 8 years ago today. Like the rusted locomotive hulk, her body was inanimate, decaying and breaking down even as we mourned that day. 

EMD GP30 illustration by Tom Fawell

Engine 3011 was a GP-30, a beautiful, vibrant and strong engine, one of the class that inspired the art of EMD's illustrator Tom Fawell. See how the power flows from it, the angular lines of the locomotive charging forward? That's the once part of the glory. The future part is when we see 3011 perched again on standard gauge rails shining with new paint and number boards looking for all the world like the day in 1961 when it rolled out of the plant. Or maybe, just maybe even hauling a passenger special for the museum. It's a picture of what my faith tells me is real.◊

POTD - A New Way To See Things

It's been a while now since I've done some Photos of the Day, and it hasn't really been for lack of good photographs. I'm finding more, not less out there. Keep shooting and I'll keep posting!

D&RGW #683, the only standard gauge Rio Grande steam engine known to survive is
preserved at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado. The first outdoor
exhibit most encounter at the museum, the engine is quite popular with the young (and
young at heart) who want to ring the engine's bell.
Photo: Christopher J. May

Chris May takes today's Photo of the Day with this half-portrait of Rio Grande engine 683. For me, the vertical lines of the stack and horizontal lines of the top of the pilot combine with the half-circles of the headlight and boiler to make it interesting. While the foreground is almost completely monochrome and in focus, the background is awash with soft colors of every natural hue. The engine has been photographed by May "countless times" but this shot just occurred to him on the way to the car. Proof that "there's always a new way to see things..." ◊

Video Vault: Colorado Steam Mecca

Time to blow some dust off this video from the crypt vault. While I've not seen this recently, I have no doubt in my mind that this video used to be available on VHS, and trained eyes will be able to spot significant differences between the railroads captured on this DVD and their present state (like #346), which are improvements, for the most part.



Seeing the Colorado Railroad Museum as it was in the 80s brought back some memories from my visits and volunteer work. For those with the ability, volunteering there can change your world.◊

Colorado Railroad Museum Vlog Debuts, Builds Following

I just found something very encouraging being done at the Colorado Railroad Museum. For many, many years, the museum has produced a periodical called the Iron Horse News, started by their founder, Robert W. Richardson. They now have turned it into a video blog (Vlog) or video magazine. Take a look at the latest [YT] to see the improvement, then visit their channel on YouTube and subscribe to the museum to get new updates!



I was gratified to hear that Rio Grande K-37 Mikado #491 is finally, officially part of the museum. Long has the lonely example of the fabled narrow gauge 2-8-2 class suffered like her sisters from the weather while the smaller, lighter, and more versatile K-36 engines (480 - 489) remain in top condition because of their usefulness to narrow gauge circle, heritage railroads like the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The heavy, rigid frame of the K-37 engines tend to put more wear and tear on the bridges and curves. While the 491 is not slated for full restoration, this change in ownership was the first step in that direction. Here's hoping!

Great work, Donald and all the staff at the museum, especially the volunteers!◊

Final Departure For Robert LeMassena

Robert LeMassena photo by Matt Isaacks

Robert LeMassena died on October 1st, 2013, 311 days before his 100th birthday. His published works preserving the history of Colorado's railroads and in particular the Rio Grande forms the cornerstone on which much of my work is based. My library card has a permanent groove in it from repeated loans of Colorado's Mountain Railroads and Rio Grande: To the Pacific!, two of his Sundance books that command top dollar at train shows and book retailers. It's unfortunate that I never had the opportunity to convey my appreciation of his work while he was still with us.

Earlier this month, Nathan Holmes of DRGW.net had this to say,

Bob left us a great deal of his amassed knowledge through his books - the most notable to most Rio Grande fans being "Rio Grande... to the Pacific!" RGTTP is an invaluable piece of work, and is still my go-to reference for the Grande's often convoluted historical timeline.

Holmes also speculated that the Colorado Railroad Museum will have a memorial event of some kind in the near future.

Trains magazine also presented an obituary in its news wire, noting his 35 bylines and numerous stories for the magazine dating from 1963. His lifelong passion for railroads led to many stories, op-ed pieces and industry articles, with much of his work centered on steam locomotive design and operation, which was a natural considering his bachelors degree in mechanical engineering.

Colorado and railroad historians have lost a true "steam buff" in Robert LeMassena. From the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western yard in East Orange, New Jersey in his youth to the high mountain passes and thundering articulated locomotives in the Colorado high country and beyond, his long life was spent in the pursuit of his passion for railroads and the engines that powered them. Few were so lucky as he in this regard. I wish him Godspeed on his final departure.◊

New Reader Poll: How To Improve the Colorado Railroad Museum?

Near the top of the other column on www.corailroads.com, there's a new reader poll with a few ideas about the Colorado Railroad Museum and, in terms of mega-projects, I ask you, "What could possibly improve the place?" Some of these ideas are a little "out there" and some are practical. Cast your vote for two or three you like. Keep watching, as the poll will go for more than 6 months. 

Have I left out anything? Comment in with your ideas. If the right eyes are watching, who knows what could happen? Besides, I really want to hear about your ideas on this.

For ideas and thoughts, try looking through this roster-like photo album on rrpicturearchives.net.◊

POTD - Grande Retirement of a Tunnel Motor

Kevin Morgan, long a favorite, gets the POTD honor today, not just because of the unique perspective
of this shot, but because he remembered the detail of staying out of the reflection of Ogden, Utah.

Since it's retirement in 2008, Rio Grande SD40T-2 #5371, the only Rio Grande diesel to retire without being re-numbered or sold off, has been joined at the old loco's home by SD40T-2 #5401, which saw brief service as patched Union Pacific 9871. Though they haven't relocated the engine to the property, it's good to know that such vital pieces of contemporary railroading is going to survive in the both of the states the Rio Grande called home.◊

2012 Christmas Trains

It's Thanksgiving, and the traditional opening of the Christmas season. Since trains and Christmas have a special relationship that's deeply ingrained in American culture, it's only natural that heritage and tourist railroads run special extras during this special time of the year. Demand is often so high that some trains sell out weeks in advance, so book your tickets without delay. Here is a list and a map of the trains that are scheduled to run in 2012:

Alamosa and the San Luis Valley

Rio Grande Scenic Railroad 
Excursion: North Pole Express on Friday and Saturday nights until December 22, 2012. Train departs at 6:00 p.m. from the Alamosa depot. Tickets are $15 for coach or upgrade to Club for $15 more per ticket. Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas for a true North Pole Express experience

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad 
Although there were preliminary plans for the railroad to run a Christmas train, the management change late this year has prevented the formation of any concrete plans. As of now, no Christmas trains for the C&TS. Maybe next year?

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Canon City

Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Excursion: Santa Express Train departing Canon City every Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 6 pm November 16-30, then every evening at 6 pm December 1 & 2, 6-9, 13-26. There will also be special daily departures at noon on Dec 1 & 2, 8 & 9, 15-24. No trains on Christmas day. Tickets start at $22 per child and $32 per adult with upgrades to dome class and first class available for the 90 minute round trip. Also, the Canon City and Royal Gorge is offering a New Year's Eve Dinner Train.

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Colorado Springs

Manitou & Pikes Peak Railway
Excursion: Santa Claus Special
Reservations by phone at (719) 685-5401 with a credit card. Saturdays and Sundays, . Times vary but generally 9:30, 10:30 AM, 1:00 and 2:00 PM. Visit site to check specific dates and times as well as status. Several trains are already sold out. Make sure that your selection says Santa Claus Special, because regular trains will also be running on these days.

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Denver

Colorado Railroad Museum
Event: Santa Claus Special – Steam-Up Event on December 8, 15, 16 & 22, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The train runs every 30 minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. with Colorado Railroad Museum’s locomotive and a team of historic passenger cars all decked out for the holidays. The Depot General Store will offer hot chocolate, and you can mail your letter to Santa at the RPO car.

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Durango

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Excursion: North Pole Express, see featured video, Friday, Saturday and Sundays at 5:15 and 6:50 PM through December 11, and daily December 13 - 28, 2012. An additional 8:25 PM departure is available Saturdays and then daily December 14 - 23, 2012. No trains run on Christmas Day. Tickets start at $28 per child and $38 per adult.

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Georgetown

Georgetown Loop Railroad
Excursion: Santa's North Pole Adventure, Saturdays and Sundays first three weeks of December, then December 17 - 24, 26 - 30, 2012 with departures at 10:00 & 11:15 AM, 12:30, 2:00, & 3:15 PM. Tickets start at $28.50 adults and $18.50 ages 3-15 for a one-hour round-trip train ride with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, cookies, and candy canes, and the kids all take home a jingle bell ornament.
Excursion: Holiday Lights Train 4:30 PM on the same days as Santa's North Pole Adventure as well as Friday evenings. Tickets are $29.50 for adults and $20.50 ages 3-15. Santa and Mrs. Claus do not ride this train
Excursion: First Class Holiday Cheer Train First three Fridays & Saturdays in December Tickets are $36.50 per person for 5:45 and 7:00 departures with heavy appetizers and hot drinks.
All departures weather permitting. Complimentary hot chocolate at the Ticket Window

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Use the map below for locations and directions

MAP: Colorado's Christmas Trains 2012

View Colorado Railroads Christmas Trains 2012 in a larger map
What is it that attracts us to Christmas trains?

I've asked myself many times why I am a railfan, and my only real conclusion is that people (men in particular) like big, noisy things that go fast. Something about all that mass and energy under control and guided by two lines of steel spiked down to the ground just holds my attention. It's the soot, steam and heat of a steam locomotive that provokes a certain sensory overload for me. The thrumming of a diesel as it works its way up a grade thrills me with a sense of awe and wonder. I even thrill to the sight of a caboose. I get very excited at the thought of riding a train ...any train.

That still doesn't explain why Christmas trains are so popular. Perhaps it's because Christmas was one time that taking a train meant something good, like going "Home For the Holidays." Maybe it's the compound wonder of children for two very exciting things. Could it be something else? Comment in with your thoughts on why folks are attracted to Christmas trains!◊

Gaggle In Golden: At Last Minute, Knott's Not Coming

Rio Grande Southern Motor 3, the third Galloping Goose, will not be in attendance at Goosefest this weekend at the Colorado Railroad Museum. The third Goose would have completed the first-ever gathering of all RGS Gooses, a full gaggle, as it were. Unfortunately, the museum was informed by Goose 3's current owner, Knott's Berry Farm out in California, that they would not be coming on June 8, only a week before they were supposed to arrive.

Tickets For Goosefest Includes VIP Offer

photo by Matt Isaaks

As mentioned before, Goosefest on June 16 & 17 at the Colorado Railroad Museum is the first full Galloping Goose reunion. Tickets are $15, 5 & 10 for adults, children & seniors, or $30 for families. Additionally, there is are 40 VIP packages available for $250. CRM Executive Director, Donald Tallman, explains,

Goosefest 2012: Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose Full Reunion

Major Event

The news out of Golden couldn't be more significant. For the first time since the abandonment of the Rio Grande Southern, all seven Galloping Gooses will be on the same rails! Goose Fest is a two day event on June 16 and 17, 2012, at  the Colorado Railroad Museum. Donald Tallman, Executive Director of the Colorado Railroad Museum writes,

Having the seven Galloping Geese [sic] together and operating is an event of both National and International significance to the railfan community.  People from around the world have contacted the Museum and are planning to “flock” to this once-in-a-lifetime reunion! 

Chieftain: A Day At the Museum

I just read a very good "local living" article floated by the Pueblo Chieftain. It describes a day at the Colorado Railroad Museum and, if you've ever been there, you might find yourself remembering along with the author.

Visit the Chieftain article, or visit it in a new window.

Railroads Celebrate A Colorado Christmas

The Polar Express arrives at Durango's 125 year old station

Colorado has many traditions and celebrations associated with Christmas. Denver's Civic Center, across the park from the state capitol, is lit each Christmas season with an impressive display that brings thousands to the city center on every night it's lit. Christmas stars light several Colorado towns like Castle Rock and Palmer Lake. As I've noted other years, Colorado also has a global role with Christmas as NORAD tracks Santa Claus while he travels around the world each Christmas Eve.

Also as with years before, I have a list of railroads and layouts across Colorado that host special Christmas events. This year I have them grouped by metro area. One final note before the listings: Reservations, where possible, are strongly encouraged as these events have a tendency to sell out at the last minute.