Georgetown Loop – Colorado
Photos in this batch is from my visit to Denver, Colorado in, I think, 2005 (or 2004). My camera date settings were off; the original date of the series is January 2005, which is definitely wrong. What I do remember is that the day when I took a tour up in the mountains was September 21, last day of summer, first day of fall. It so happened that when we got up in the mountains, snow hit, and at some point it was not clear if the tour bus could take us through the whole route scheduled for the day.
Here, I’m showing one part of the trip, The Georgetown Loop Railroad. I asked to ride up front in the steam engine locomotive, and got some good shots of how the two men worked the engine up and down the railroad route.
–Michael Henrik Holtermann
History
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad located in the Rocky Mountains in Clear Creek County, Colorado, in the United States.
The railroad operates summer tourist trains between the communities of Georgetown and Silver Plume, a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km). The railroad route is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long and ascends an elevation of 640 feet (195.1 m) through mountainous terrain along with trestles, cuts, fills, and a grand loop.
This spectacular stretch of narrow gauge railroad was completed in 1884 and considered an engineering marvel for its time. The thriving mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume lie 2 miles (3.2 km) apart in the steep, narrow canyon of Clear Creek in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver. Engineers designed a corkscrew route that traveled nearly twice that distance to connect them, slowly gaining more than 600 feet (183 m) in elevation. The route included horseshoe curves, grades of up to 4%, and four bridges across Clear Creek, including the massive Devil’s Gate High Bridge.
Reopening
In 1959, the centennial year of the discovery of gold in Georgetown, the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park was formed by the Colorado Historical Society. The Colorado Historical Society’s chairman negotiated a donation of mining claims and mills, and nearly 100 acres (40 ha) of land.
Interest in restoration of the Loop segment as a tourist attraction in the 1970s led to reopening of the segment. Rail line construction began in 1973 with track and ties donated by the Union Pacific Railroad, and a new high bridge was built. The 3-mile (4.8 km) restored segment, opened on March 10, 1984, is at the upper end of the historic Colorado Central main line up Clear Creek Canyon west of Golden. The Georgetown Loop Railroad climbs approximately 640 feet (195 m) between the two towns. Passengers board the train at depots located in Silver Plume and Georgetown.
The train ride includes an optional walking tour of the Lebanon Silver Mine, located at the halfway point on the railroad, where visitors can walk 500 feet (150 m) into a mine tunnel bored in the 1870s, with guides pointing out rich veins of silver and relating the history of the mine.
2012 season begins May 5th and continues through December 30th
The Georgetown Loop Railroad offers a variety of theme rides.
- “Moonlight in the Mountains” dinner high above Clear Creek in our enclosed dinner coaches.
- 4th of July Fireworks Train is back again. Combining cowboy BBQ and the viewing of the Georgetown Fireworks show from high up above Clear Creek Canyon is a great way to celebrate the holiday. This train has sold out the last three years, so reserve early.
- Moonlight in the Mountains Dinner Train, is a catered, casual dinner at either Devil’s Gate Depot or aboard the train high above Clear Creek Canyon dependent on weather. This year Wednesday nights are Family Backyard Barbeque specials, Friday and Saturday nights trains are Lobster and Steak with a choice of a combination surf and turf or an all-steak dinner, a new Ribeye & Trout dinner service, or regular evening selection of five different entrees which may be picked when making a reservation. These casual dinners divide the mountain beauty of dusk and dark into two unique experiences.
- Wine and Hors d’ouevres Trains are returning after rave revues of the last two years. This year we are having twice as many wine tasting adventures as last year with all new wines and some old favorites. These wines will be matched with a selection of delicious accompaniments and snacks while enjoying the beautiful view of Clear Creek Canyon.
- Beer and Brats train in September and October. This is a free Colorado micro brew beer tasting for all adult riders coupled with appetizers, brats & sauerkraut, and desert.
- The Pumpkin Festival Trains are back again the first two weekends of October. These excursions are a great favorite of children, their parents, and grand parents. A hay bale maze is set up outside the Lebanon Silver Mine for the little ones’ enjoyment. There are free pumpkins to take home for the kids. Also, there are games, a treasure hunt for nuggets, face painting, and wonderful holiday characters.
Current Equipment Status
Visit the Updates Website to get the current status of the rail equipment work.
For more information, visit Georgetown Loop website.
