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Colorado Railroad Museum facts for kids

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Colorado museum
Colorado Railroad musemLogo.JPG
Established 1959
Location 17155 W 44th Ave
Golden, Colorado 80403
Type railroad museum
Public transit access none

The Colorado Railroad Museum is a special place where you can explore the exciting history of trains! It's a non-profit museum, which means it's run for the public good, not for making money. The museum is located on 15 acres (about 6 hectares) in Golden, Colorado. It sits right where Clear Creek flows between two mountains, North Table and South Table.

This museum was started in 1959. Its main goal is to save and share the amazing story of Colorado's railroads. They especially focus on the state's unique narrow-gauge mountain trains. These trains were super important for traveling through Colorado's tough mountain areas long ago.

Explore the Museum Buildings

Colorado Railroad Museum depot building
Main museum building
DHOC Exterior
The Denver HO Model Railroad Club is located in the basement of the Colorado Railroad Museum.

The main museum building looks just like a train station from the 1880s! Inside, you'll find cool exhibits. These include old photos by famous photographers like William Henry Jackson. You can also see paintings by artists such as Howard L Fogg and Otto Kuhler.

There are even tiny train models, built to a special "one inch scale" by Herb Votaw. One part of the building has a recreated telegraph office. This is where people used to send messages using Morse code. It even has a working telegraph sounder!

Downstairs, there's a big hall for special exhibits. These displays change throughout the year. You can also find the Denver HO Model Railroad Club here. They have a huge model train setup called "Denver and Western." It shows Colorado's train history in miniature, using HO and HOn3 scale trains.

The Robert W. Richardson Library is also part of the museum. It holds over 10,000 old photos. Plus, it has many other important documents. These include old train schedules, maps, and records about Colorado railroads.

Businesscar
Colorado Railroad Museum Business Car next to Water Tower

Amazing Train Collection

Golden CO Colorado-Railroad-Museum D&RGW-683 2012-10-18
Steam locomotive D&RGW #683 at a mock-up train station.
Golden Steam-locomotive-D&RGW-346 2012-10-18
Steam locomotive D&RGW #346 (originally numbered D&RG #406)on the turntable, built in 1881, and restored to its 20th-century appearance (Compare with photo below).
D&RG 400, which became GT&C 340
This early photo of a sister engine shows how D&RGW #346 (originally D&RG 406) appeared in the 1800s, with a diamond stack, decorative trim on the sand dome, box headlight and wooden pilot.
D&RG 406 (later D&RG 346) west of Chama, New Mexico, ca. 1910. (Colorado RR Museum collection)
D&RG 406 (D&RG 346)(C-19), Marshall Pass, summer 1881
D&RG 406 (later D&RG 346) at Marshall Pass, Colorado in the summer of 1881, when the engine was new.
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Class 70 (C-19) Engines (numbers 400-411)
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Class 70 (C-19) Engines (numbers 400-411) as they were configured in the 1800s. D&RG 346 was originally D&RG 406 (and has been restored to include its 20th-century engineering modifications).
Denver, Leadville & Gunnison RR 191 (which later became Thunder Lake Lumber Co. 7)
Denver, Leadville & Gunnison RR 191 (which later became Thunder Lake Lumber Co. 7) near the end of its service life in the 20th century (before restoration).
Golden CO Colorado-Railroad-Museum DL&G-191 2012-10-18
Denver, Leadville & Gunnison RR 191, after restoration. The engine is the oldest steam engine in Colorado. It's restoration included several of its 1800s engineering components such as a diamond stack, box headlight, and wooden pilot (cowcatcher).
RGS Galloping Goose 2 2008
Rio Grande Southern Railroad Galloping Goose No. 2.

The museum has a huge collection of 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge trains. These are trains that run on tracks that are closer together than normal. On special "Steam Up days," you can even ride these narrow-gauge trains!

The museum also has a special train called Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad No. 683. This is a coal-burning 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive. It was built in 1890. This engine is the only surviving 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge standard-gauge steam locomotive from the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.

All the trains and railroad equipment are displayed outside. The display tracks are really interesting! They have a rare three-way stub switch and tracks that can hold both narrow and standard gauge trains. These tracks hold over 100 historic locomotives and cars. There's also a 1/3 mile (0.5 km) oval track. This track is used for train rides on operating days.

The museum's collection includes many important trains:

Steam Locomotives

Name Year Built Status Description
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad No. 5629 1940 Display This is a huge 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive. It was built in 1940 and is the largest steam engine at the museum. It's one of only four "Northern" type engines from the Burlington Route that still exist.
Denver and Rio Grande Western No. 491 1928 Operational This 2-8-2 "Mikado" type narrow-gauge steam engine was built by the D&RGW itself. It was brought to the museum in 2000. In 2014, it was fixed up and can now run! It's the biggest operating narrow-gauge engine in the Western Hemisphere. It's still running as of 2022.
Denver and Rio Grande Western No. 346 July 1881 Out of Service This 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type narrow-gauge steam engine was built in 1881. It's currently being rebuilt to run again.
Denver and Rio Grande Western No. 318 1896 Display This 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type narrow-gauge steam engine was built in 1896. It was originally for another railroad before joining the D&RG.
Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway No. 1 1890 Display This special 0-4-2 type steam engine ran on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway for many years, starting in 1891. It was named "John Hulbert."
Rio Grande Southern No. 20 1899 Operational This 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type narrow-gauge steam engine was built in 1899. It was recently restored and started running again in 2020. It's still operational as of May 2022!
Denver Leadville & Gunnison No. 191 1880 Display This 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type narrow-gauge steam engine was built in 1880. It's the oldest locomotive in Colorado! It has been part of many different railroads over the years.
Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 683 1890 Display This is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type standard gauge steam locomotive. It started working in 1890 when the Rio Grande finished its first standard gauge line. It's the last surviving standard gauge engine from the Denver and Rio Grande Western.

Diesel Locomotives

  • Denver & Rio Grande Western Davenport 0-4-0 #50
  • Denver & Rio Grande Western EMD F9A #5771 & F9B #5762
  • Denver & Rio Grande Western EMD GP30 #3011
  • Denver & Rio Grande Western EMD SD40T-2 #5401 (Donated in 2018)

Passenger Cars

  • Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Observation Car Navajo
  • Chicago Burlington & Quincy Business Car No. 96
  • Colorado Midland Observation Car No. 111
  • Denver & Rio Grande Western Coach No. 284
  • Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway Post Office Car No. 60
  • Union Pacific Coach No. 5442
  • Union Pacific Diner No. 4801
  • Uintah Combination Coach No. 50

Special Equipment

See also

  • List of heritage railroads in the United States
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