If you have little ones and you live in (or are planning a visit to) the beautiful state of Colorado, then a trip to the Colorado Railroad Museum is a must! It’s located on 15-acres of land, adjacent to Clear Creek, in scenic Golden, Colorado. The museum houses over 100 narrow and standard-gauge steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars, and cabooses. Your kiddos will jump for joy at the opportunity to hop aboard a passenger car and take a ride behind a historic steam engine. Toot! Toot! The model trains in the miniature rail yard are another huge draw, for kids young and old. A day at the Colorado Railroad Museum is a day full of adventure, exploration, education, and fun!
The museum was opened in 1959 byΒ Robert W. Richardson and Cornelius W. Hauck. Their mission (then and now) is to preserveΒ and convey the rich history of railroading in the Rocky Mountain Region for future generations. The railroad played an important role in the growth and development of the State of Colorado, and it will always hold a very special place in my heart.
As I was growing up, my father worked for the Rio Grande and Union Pacific Railroads…as a conductor running coal trains out of the tiny town of Phippsburg, Colorado. His railroad career spanned from 1958 to 2004 and spawned many lifelong friendships. Needless to say, I became familiar with trains at a very young age. And I will never forget the time that I got to ride in the engine with my dad and the entire crew!
I lost my dad to cancer in 2006, and I still think of him every single day. Every time I’m driving down the road and a train engine rumbles by, it puts a smile on my face. It’s like my dad is just popping by to say a quick hello. I will always think of my dad when I see a train…the railroad was such a big part of his life.
It saddens me that his life (and our time together) was cut short. He missed my college graduation, my wedding day, and the birth of his granddaughter. He was an excellent grandfather and I’m heartbroken that my little nugget will never get the chance to actually meet him.
Visiting the Colorado Railroad Museum with my daughter was bittersweet. Walking by the old Rio Grande engines in the rail yard really made me miss my dad. But I was so grateful for the opportunity to share such a big piece of his life with my daughter. I could just picture him there, telling her a myriad of details about each and every train engine, car, and caboose…until she became bored and ran off to explore. π And boy, is there a lot to explore!
Colorado Railroad Museum
Locomotives
The Colorado Railroad Museum houses numerous steam and diesel locomotives that were used to pull (or even push) trains along their tracks.
My little nugget’s favorite engine was the Denver & Rio Grande Western Diesel Engine No. 5771 – or “Big Yellow” as she called it. This particular engine powered a passenger train that ran from Denver to Salt Lake City, from 1971 to 1983. During it’s last year in operation (1984) it powered the infamous Ski Train from Denver to Winter Park.
I, on the other hand, fell in love with the Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Engine No. 1. This adorable little 4-cylinder engine was built in 1893, for the sole purpose of transporting visitors to the summit of Pikes Peak. It was specially designed to climb steep mountain slopes and was retired from service in 1941.
Snowplows
Winter in the Rocky Mountains posed many threats to the year-round operation of the railroad. Snow removal was a challenge, so snowplows were often utilized to clear snow drifts from the tracks.
While smaller wedge plows were capable of clearing most snow drifts, deeper snow and more severe conditions required the use of a large rotary snowplow (as seen above). The rotary plow’s circular blades would chop the snow up and throw it to either side of the tracks. Power to spin the blades was generated by a steam engine located within the plow itself. Although, the snowplows were not capable of moving on their own…they had to be pushed by a locomotive. This particular Colorado & Southern Rotary Snowplow (No. 99201) cleared numerous mountain tracks from 1899 to 1965.
Passenger, Business & Freight Cars
Passenger cars have certainly come a long way. Many of the passenger cars housed in the rail yard feature individual, upright velvet seats…there were no cabins or sleeping quarters like the ones you see in cross-country trains today. The Colorado Midland Observation Car No. 111 (pictured above) was most frequently used for “wildflower excursions” near Pikes Peak. During the height of wildflower season, the train would stop to allow passengers to disembark and gather a bouquet.
Back in the day, mail traversed the country by train. The Colorado & Southern Railway had five steel postal cars, including Car No. 254. This particular car was in operation from 1922 to 1967, and transported mail between Billings, Montana and Fort Worth, Texas (via Denver).
With the Coors Brewing Company right on the other side of Clear Creek, it’s not at all surprising to stumble upon this bright red Coors engine and Coors Refrigerator Car (No. 5400).
The Roundhouse & Turntable
Railroad roundhouses are mechanic shops for trains. The roundhouse at the Colorado Railroad Museum was constructed in 2000. It contains five different stalls, and is still utilized to restore and repair all of the museum’s operational equipment.
The turntable in front of the roundhouse was built in 1900, by the American Bridge Company of Chicago. It was originally in operation at a rail yard in Kansas. Turntables are rotating bridges that are used to either turn rail cars around, or move them from one set of tracks to another. They were designed to be operated by as few as two people. Just two people rotating giant train engines…that’s crazy!
Cabooses
Exploring the interiors of the various cabooses in the rail yard was one of our favorite activities. Our little nugget loved climbing into the upper vantage points, that were typically utilized by the conductor and brakemen.
We discovered cabooses that contained office space (small desks), bunk beds, and even kitchens (with extremely small stoves and sinks). Each caboose exuded its own unique character, and I loved each and every one of them…but perhaps that’s because the caboose has always been my favorite train car. π
Garden Railroad Display (Model Trains)
The miniature railroad at the Colorado Railroad Museum is owned and operated by the Denver Garden Railroad Society. There are a handful of trains that run on a few different tracks – including a train pulled by Thomas the Tank Engine, as well as a Rio Grande coal train…just like the ones my dad used to run.
Our little nugget loved sitting down for a snack alongside the mini railroad and watching the trains roll by. Members of the DGRS are welcome to bring and run their very own model trains along the tracks at the museum.
We had an incredible day at the Colorado Railroad Museum! We rode a real train, explored the entire rail yard (inside and out), and enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch with my mom. My amazing mother even surprised us with an edible train, made out of fruit! My daughter was thrilled! And that extra special touch made the day that much more memorable.
I’m so glad that my little nugget was able to learn more about her Grandpa that day. It was a day that I will never forget!
If you have a train-obsessed kiddo, they will absolutely love the Colorado Railroad Museum. And you might even get lucky enough to visit during one of their special events. On a handful of select dates in September, visitors will be treated to a Day Out With Thomas – everyone’s favorite tank engine (and the museum’s most popular annual event). Guests have the opportunity to ride aboard a train led by Thomas himself, and have their photo taken with Sir Topham Hatt! Other entertaining annual events include a Trick-or-Treat Train in October, and the Polar Express in November and December.
For more information about the museum, please visit:Β http://coloradorailroadmuseum.org/.
Note: This is not a sponsored post…we just really loved our day at the museum!
