Photo: Eric Sherrill |
Showing posts with label Colorado Railroad Museum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado Railroad Museum. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
POTD - How Does One Fire An F9?
The characteristic curve of the window should be a tip to the railroad-minded about the location of the photographer when they snapped this picture of the Colorado River and the railroad right of way in July 1977. The shot is from the fireman's seat aboard the Rio Grande Zephyr in the cab of EMD F9 5771 heading east out of Glenwood Springs into Glenwood Canyon. In 25 years, the last remnant of the old California Zephyr will be a distant memory and the last of the Rio Grande covered wagons are preserved at the Colorado Railroad Museum..
Tags:
California Zephyr,
Colorado Railroad Museum,
Denver and Rio Grande Western,
history,
passenger,
POTD
Location:
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, USA
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
POTD - Snow and Steam
Chris May, known popularly as GhoSStrider, is no stranger to POTD, but the last time he was featured he was chasing the Cheyenne Frontier Days special and his feature ran in early August! Quite the change here as he catches a volunteer dismount Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad engine 346 one cold December morning.
Photo: GhoSStrider |
Friday, August 19, 2011
Colorado Railroad Museum To Lay 300 Feet of Track August 27th
This next Saturday, August 27th, Colorado Railroad Museum will be laying 300 feet of track in one day, with some help. Here's the news straight from the Telegrapher,
FasTracks West Rail Line Contractors and Denver Transit Construction Group are donating all the materials, including track, ties, and ballast, equipment, and labor to build 300 feet of standard gauge track in a single day.
Tags:
Colorado Railroad Museum,
Events,
Light Rail,
RTD
Friday, July 29, 2011
POTD - Maintenence
I said on Wednesday that it was a two-parter and this being Friday, I'm sure you're expecting something different. It is something different ...sort of. Actually, it's the same photographer, and the same subject, a steam engine, is involved, but that's where the similarities end.
Christopher May got my attention with this black-and-white image of two volunteers at the Colorado Railroad Museum during Shay Days. It is titled very simply, Maintenance, and it highlights a fundamental truth that it is not just a steam engine that works to keep the steel wheels in motion over steel rails. Each iron beast, steam or diesel, standard gauge or narrow, represents many, many man-hours of hard work, heat, pressure, oil and tools exhausted in keeping the rails plied with people, consumables and goods. Sometimes it's a gantry crane lifting a multi-ton assembly for a 2-dollar part replacement that gets focused attention. Today, it was near a cylinder on the geared drivetrain of a Shay locomotive at a narrow-gauge haven in Golden.
Incidentally, there are times when a photograph invites a black-and-white shot treatment, but this one fairly stands up and demands it. Great work, Chris!
Christopher May got my attention with this black-and-white image of two volunteers at the Colorado Railroad Museum during Shay Days. It is titled very simply, Maintenance, and it highlights a fundamental truth that it is not just a steam engine that works to keep the steel wheels in motion over steel rails. Each iron beast, steam or diesel, standard gauge or narrow, represents many, many man-hours of hard work, heat, pressure, oil and tools exhausted in keeping the rails plied with people, consumables and goods. Sometimes it's a gantry crane lifting a multi-ton assembly for a 2-dollar part replacement that gets focused attention. Today, it was near a cylinder on the geared drivetrain of a Shay locomotive at a narrow-gauge haven in Golden.
Incidentally, there are times when a photograph invites a black-and-white shot treatment, but this one fairly stands up and demands it. Great work, Chris!
West Side Lumber Shay engine #12 gets a hand or two during some Maintenance at Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO on May 14, 2011 during "Shay Days." Photo: Christopher May/GhoSStrider |
Location:
Denver Metro, Colorado, USA
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Volunteers Needed This Weekend
Colorado Railroads just received an urgent appeal for volunteers this Saturday for a steam-up at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Here it is:
Looking for volunteers to help with parking for our "Bunny Express" Saturday. We are anticipating need for overflow parking for this annual and very popular event at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Help!!!!If you're in the Denver area on Saturday and need an excuse to go to the Colorado Railroad Museum for the day, this is about as good as they get. Giving time to the museum is an easy and cheap way to show your support for Colorado's railroad history. Contact Donald Tallman via Facebook, or contact the museum directly at 303-279-4591 or 800-365-6263.
Donald Tallman
Executive Director
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tunnel Motor Spared For Colorado Railroad Museum
The yard at Denver's Burnham shops have seen more than a few engines these days as Union Pacific held an auction of more than 50 units on July 14, 2010. Earlier in the month, a request came in from the Colorado Railroad Museum. Would it be possible, they asked, for UP to donate unit UP 9871? Within hours, UP said yes!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Memorial Service For Jim Ozment at CRRM On June 12
Jim Ozment photo |
A memorial service for railfan and photographer Jim Ozment will be held at the Museum in the picnic area at the Colorado Railroad Museum on June 12th at 3:00 PM followed by light refreshments. Mr. Ozment, who passed away December 7th, was a longtime member at the museum and Advisory Board member. Examples of his work may be found and purchased at www.westernrailimages.com
Tags:
Colorado Railroad Museum,
Departing,
Events
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
UP Retires ex-Rio Grande Tunnel Motors To Dead Line At Burnham
It was bound to happen. With a continued lack of demand because of the recession, old locomotives that have seen their share of railroad miles are rounded up and sent via "funeral train" to a retirement storage, known as a "dead line." Intrepid photographer Kevin Morgan chased a funeral train on April 17, 2010. This time it seems to be a large
percentage of tunnel motors that had been marked for retirement, with 17 out of 21 (81%) being SD40T-2s. The train continued on to the dead line at Burnham.
percentage of tunnel motors that had been marked for retirement, with 17 out of 21 (81%) being SD40T-2s. The train continued on to the dead line at Burnham.
Tags:
BNSF,
Colorado Railroad Museum,
Denver and Rio Grande Western,
extras,
Kevin Morgan,
museums,
Opinion,
Preservation,
Union Pacific
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
What It's Like To Volunteer
I just got done reading Boho in the 'Burbs: Train Yard Volunteering. See what it's like to volunteer at the Colorado Railroad Museum for a few hours. If anything, it's worth the look inside CB&Q business car 96. It's very cool to see a family get together and give a few hours together. It got me thinking too.
Friday, March 19, 2010
SCFD Free Day At the Colorado Railroad Museum Tomorrow
As part of Denver's regional Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), the Colorado Railroad Museum receives sales tax dollars collected across the district. As a thank you to the region, facilities have "free days" where admissions are not required. The museum has two free days this year. The first is tomorrow, March 20th, 2010.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Steampunk And The Museums Of Tomorrow
If you've seen a group of people walking around your local railroad museum dressed up in turn-of-last-century or Victorian garb, especially around your local museum, you've been exposed to Steampunk. It's the future, or is it the past?
Tags:
Colorado Railroad Museum,
history,
museums,
steam,
web videos
Friday, October 30, 2009
Off-Road And On Track At the Alpine Tunnel
An off-road vehicle is often your best choice for exploring the sites of Colorado's extensive railroad history. It therefore follows that some members of the off-road vehicle groups would find some crossover interest. The folks at UTV Weekly put together a nice piece on Hancock Pass and the Alpine Tunnel, complete with photos.
The Alpine Tunnel was an endeavor by the Denver, South Park & Pacific (wikipedia), a narrow gauge railroad founded in 1872 with a small but hardy following among narrow-gauge railfans. In 1889, the DSP&P became the Denver, Leadville, & Gunnison (UP-controlled) and then in 1898, part of the Colorado & Southern system. The Alpine Tunnel was in use from 1881 to 1910, connecting Leadville and the Arkansas River Valley with Gunnison and the western slope.
Having visited the site a few years ago, I can tell you that the progress at the Alpine Tunnel historic district is noticeable, but slow. Hard, grueling work is complicated by the short summer--if you can call it that--along with the high altitude and lack of funding, things that conspired to prevent the original route from completion and continued operation. If you look at the photos, you'll see that even the memorials are not immune to the harsh conditions. Yet it is all worth a visit, if only to see the beauty of the state and embrace the history of men who bravely fought and died facing the worst conditions Colorado's Rocky Mountains could throw at them.
Further & Related
The Alpine Tunnel was an endeavor by the Denver, South Park & Pacific (wikipedia), a narrow gauge railroad founded in 1872 with a small but hardy following among narrow-gauge railfans. In 1889, the DSP&P became the Denver, Leadville, & Gunnison (UP-controlled) and then in 1898, part of the Colorado & Southern system. The Alpine Tunnel was in use from 1881 to 1910, connecting Leadville and the Arkansas River Valley with Gunnison and the western slope.
Having visited the site a few years ago, I can tell you that the progress at the Alpine Tunnel historic district is noticeable, but slow. Hard, grueling work is complicated by the short summer--if you can call it that--along with the high altitude and lack of funding, things that conspired to prevent the original route from completion and continued operation. If you look at the photos, you'll see that even the memorials are not immune to the harsh conditions. Yet it is all worth a visit, if only to see the beauty of the state and embrace the history of men who bravely fought and died facing the worst conditions Colorado's Rocky Mountains could throw at them.
Further & Related
- What's a UTV?
- UTV Weekly also covered the Alpine Loop.
- Denver, Leadville & Gunnison #191, the oldest native locomotive in Colorado, recently returned to display at the Colorado Railroad Museum after a full cosmetic restoration.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Pile Driver OB Demonstration At CRRM
According to C&TS, we will have the opportunity to see Pile Driver OB in action the next two weekends at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. On Saturday October 10 & 11 and again October 17 & 18, there will be demonstrations on the museum grounds. The Colorado Railroad Museum opens at 9:00am and the demonstrations will be held at 10:00am, 12:30pm and 3:00pm all four days.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Denver HO Model Railroad Club Feature On Colorado Getaways
Since the 80s, KCNC Channel 4 in Denver has worked to boost Colorado tourism by producing features like Colorado Getaways. They recently profiled the Denver HO Model Railroad Club, the layout that's been in the basement of the Colorado Railroad Museum for over 40 years. Take a look at their video segment here. Want to visit the layout when it's open? Happen by the first Thursday evening of every month.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Volunteers Needed
Happy Easter, everyone! He is risen!
The Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden needs volunteers to work in the office, on the track crew, in restoration projects in the roundhouse, in the library and as tour guides. I've volunteered at the museum before and it's a great experience! To step up, contact volunteer coordinator David Williams at 720-274-5147 or e-mail david@crrn.org.
The Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden needs volunteers to work in the office, on the track crew, in restoration projects in the roundhouse, in the library and as tour guides. I've volunteered at the museum before and it's a great experience! To step up, contact volunteer coordinator David Williams at 720-274-5147 or e-mail david@crrn.org.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Railroad Museum Reopens After Blizzard
Donald Tallman, Executive Director of the Colorado Railroad Museum, caught these photos of the museum grounds the day after the blizzard that covered eastern Colorado and left it's mark on most of the state. The museum has opened today, offering its usual weekend rides around the grounds (extra ticket required). Spring snows don't hang around long, and it will likely be gone after Sunday.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Galloping Goose For Breakfast
Editor's Note: Happy 2009, everyone! Later this month, Colorado Railroads blog will celebrate completing it's 3rd year of posting news and items of interest to fans of Colorado railroading. Like you, I can't wait to see what the future holds!
Ronald Tallman, Executive Director of the Colorado Railroad Museum, made an appearance on Denver's 9News yesterday. He presented RGS Goose #7 and Goose #2 to early morning viewers and mentioned the Mother's Day Goosefest planned for May. Click above to play the video. Watch also for the dramatic helicopter shot showing Tallman by the restoration roundhouse on the museum grounds.
Tags:
Colorado Railroad Museum,
heritage railroad,
museums,
narrow gauge,
passenger,
Rio Grande Southern
Thursday, December 11, 2008
RGS Goosefest Photos
Donald Tallman of the Colorado Railroad Museum has put his pictures of the Thanksgiving Goosefest on Webshotz (fair warning about ads). With the snow they got that day, the Geese looked right at home.
Could it be that a contraption built to help a railroad survive the Great Depression finds new relevance helping the museum bring in customers on a regular basis by running low-cost exhibitions of Colorado history? It could very well be.
Could it be that a contraption built to help a railroad survive the Great Depression finds new relevance helping the museum bring in customers on a regular basis by running low-cost exhibitions of Colorado history? It could very well be.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Having Galloping Goose For Thanksgiving
The news from Donald Tallman out at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden is that they're having Geese for Thanksgiving. Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose No. 2, Galloping Goose No. 6, and Galloping Goose No. 7 will both be operating on the museum's loop of track on Thanksgiving weekend, with passengers allowed to ride in Goose No. 7. Special event admission applies, which puts the adults at $12 a person.
More details regarding the museum's flock of 3
Note: it was previously listed that only Geese 6 and 7 were operating, but Mr. Tallman says all three will be running.
More details regarding the museum's flock of 3
Note: it was previously listed that only Geese 6 and 7 were operating, but Mr. Tallman says all three will be running.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Christmas Trains
I have updated the Colorado Railroads Special Events Calendar to include the Christmas trains slated to run this season. The Colorado Railroad Museum, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, the Rio Grande Scenic, the Manitou & Pikes Peak, and the Durango & Silverton all plan to run trains this year. Only C&TS's Cinder Bear train is scheduled to run during the day.
If you have kids ages 3 to 10, I'm sure they'll get a kick out of riding a Christmas train. Prices are much reduced from the regular season fares with many running at $10 per child and $20 per adult. Hear the sleigh bells yet? You will.
If you have kids ages 3 to 10, I'm sure they'll get a kick out of riding a Christmas train. Prices are much reduced from the regular season fares with many running at $10 per child and $20 per adult. Hear the sleigh bells yet? You will.
Tags:
Christmas trains,
Colorado Railroad Museum,
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic,
Durango and Silverton,
Events,
heritage railroad,
museums,
narrow gauge,
passenger,
San Luis and Rio Grande,
steam
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