Georgetown Loop Railroad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Georgetown Loop Railroad |
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Train on the Georgetown Loop Railroad, about 1885.
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| Locale | Georgetown, Colorado |
| Terminus | Silver Plume, Colorado |
| Commercial operations | |
| Original gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Colorado Historical Society |
| Operated by | Historic Rail Adventures, LLC |
| Reporting mark | GLRX |
| Length | 4.5 mi (7.2 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1877 |
| Closed | 1938 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1984 | Reopened |
| 1984 | {{{events}}} |
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Georgetown Loop Railroad
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| Nearest city | Silver Plume, Colorado |
| Built | 1877 |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000909 |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1970 |
| {{{events1}}} | |
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a special 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge heritage railroad. It's located high in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Clear Creek County, Colorado. This exciting tourist train takes visitors on a journey between the historic towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume. It's famous for its amazing engineering, especially the "loop" that helps the train climb a steep mountain.
The train travels a route that is 4.5 mi (7.2 km) long. It climbs an elevation of 640 feet (195.1 m) through stunning mountainous terrain. Along the way, you'll see impressive trestles, deep cuts in the rock, and high fills. The railroad is easy to find near I-70. There's even a special parking area called Georgetown Loop Overlook for scenic views. You can also walk or bike along the Clear Creek Greenway Trail, which connects the train stations.
Contents
A Historic Journey: Building the Georgetown Loop
The Georgetown Loop Railroad was one of Colorado's first big visitor attractions. This incredible 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge railway was finished in 1884. It was built by the Georgetown, Breckenridge and Leadville Railway and was considered an engineering marvel for its time!
The thriving mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume are only about 2 miles (3.2 km) apart. However, they are in a very steep, narrow canyon. To connect them, engineers designed a clever "corkscrew" route. This route traveled almost twice the distance to slowly gain more than 600 feet (183 m) in elevation. It included horseshoe curves, steep grades, and four bridges across Clear Creek. The most famous bridge was the massive Devil's Gate High Bridge.
This railway was originally part of the larger Colorado Central Railroad system. It was built in the 1870s and 1880s during the exciting time of the Colorado Gold Rush. Later, it was used a lot during the Colorado Silver Boom of the 1880s. Trains hauled valuable silver ore from the mines in Silver Plume. In 1893, the Colorado and Southern Railway took over the line. They operated it for passengers and freight until 1938.
For a while, from 1906 to 1918, the Georgetown Loop connected with another railway, the Argentine Central Railway. This allowed tourists to travel even higher, all the way to the top of Mount McClellan! The Argentine Central also served several big silver mines. The original line was taken apart in 1939. However, it was brought back to life in the 1980s as a fun tourist railroad. Today, it carries passengers using historic 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge steam locomotives during the summer months.
Bringing the Loop Back: A New Beginning
In 1959, a special group called the Colorado Historical Society created the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park. This was to celebrate 100 years since gold was found in Georgetown. The Society's chairman helped get donations of mining claims, mills, and nearly 100 acres (40 ha) of land.
People became very interested in restoring the Loop as a tourist attraction in the 1970s. Construction of new track along the old path began in 1973. The Union Pacific Railroad even donated tracks and ties! A new high bridge was also built to the same design as the original. Because of modern development, the train couldn't go all the way to the old station in downtown Georgetown. So, the new track ended just below the Loop at Devil's Gate.
The restored segment, which is 3-mile (4.8 km) long, opened on March 10, 1984. The Georgetown Loop Railroad climbs approximately 640 feet (195 m) between the two towns using these 3 miles of track. Passengers can hop on the train at stations located in Silver Plume and Devil's Gate.
A cool part of the train ride is an optional walking tour of the Lebanon Silver Mine. This mine is located halfway along the railroad. Visitors can walk 500 feet (150 m) into a mine tunnel that was dug in the 1870s. Guides point out where rich veins of silver once were and share stories about the mine's history. It's like stepping back in time!
Overcoming Challenges: The Loop's Journey to Success
The Georgetown Loop operated continuously for 20 years after its rebuilding. However, around 2004, there were some difficulties with how the railroad was managed. The group running the trains at the time, Georgetown Loop Railroad, Inc., moved all their equipment away. A new company, Railstar, Inc., took over.
Under Railstar, the railroad faced some tough times. There was a lack of steam locomotives, and sometimes trains would go off the tracks. Equipment often broke down, causing the railroad to close for days during busy tourist seasons. The number of visitors dropped quite a bit.
One example of these challenges happened in 2006. An old steam locomotive, Colorado and Southern Railway #9, was fixed up to run again. But it was made to pull trains that were too long and heavy for it. This caused serious damage to the locomotive, and it couldn't run after less than one summer season. It had to go back to being a display.
In 2009, the Colorado Historical Society decided to make a change. They chose a new operator, Historic Rail Adventures LLC, which still runs the Georgetown Loop today. Since then, things have gotten much better! Three steam engines are now working again, and the trains are more reliable. More people are visiting and enjoying this amazing historic railroad.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Clear Creek County, Colorado
- List of Colorado historic railroads
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
