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.

Summer Goose Migrations On the C&TS

The Rio Grande Southern's Galloping Goose Motor 5 from Dolores will be running on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic railroad this summer 2009. Here are the dates, destinations and ticket prices:

• June 18 - Chama to Antonito - ticket price $90
• June 19 & 20 - Antonito to Osier roundtrips - $79
• June 21 - Antonito to Chama - $90

All prices include lunch at Osier.

The Goose will then be back in the fall for another series of trips. This should be when the aspens are around their best down south. Here are the dates, routes and prices:

• October 1 - Chama to Antonito - ticket price $95
• October 2 & 3 - Antonito to Osier roundtrips - $95
  
• October 4 - Antonito to Chama - $95
  

Lunch at Osier again is included in the price of a ticket. Call the Cumbres & Toltec ticket office 888-286-2737 for reservations for either migration.

Durango & Silverton Station Burglarized

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station in Durango suffered a broken door and jangled nerves Wednesday (the 11th) at 1:24 a.m. when a thief tripped an alarm, apparently scaring them off. One of the doors on the east side of the station was forced and a door to the gift shop was left open. A search of the surrounding yard revealed damage to the doors of some outbuildings. (Full Story)

Our Rails Are Rusting

Of interest to all ferroequinologists is this article from Ft.CollinsNow.com. It discusses the local impact of so many railcars parked on sidings as the shipments nosedive from the deepening recession. Rusting rails may not be the only impact of the lack of use. Idle cars are an "eyesore" to residents nearby and the are also prone to vandalism, which includes not only graffiti but also theft or destruction of car components.

A crisis this long in the making may not have any easy answers. Rails that were still warm to the touch 18 months ago are sitting cold now. Has the light at the end of the tunnel been turned off? It's not looking too hopeful, but time will tell. One thing is for sure, as the article concludes, fewer trains are running and that means we'll see less of a good thing, even we ferroequinologists.

What Are You Doing This Summer?

Rio Grande narrow gauge cabooses (cabeese?) have square-shaped nuts and bolts. How do I know this? Years ago, I worked with Colorado Railroad Museum volunteers to help restore a caboose, replacing hex heads with the authentic hardware. It felt great getting to restore a bit of Colorado railroading history, and I connect with the caboose when I come through the museum.

Connect with history on your own by volunteering with your local museum, or consider working on one of the Friends of the C&TS worksessions this summer. But don't just connect with history, connect with a family member, a spouse, or even a friend over your work together. Meet some new friends and get out of the routine!