Railroads Celebrate A Colorado Christmas

The Polar Express arrives at Durango's 125 year old station

Colorado has many traditions and celebrations associated with Christmas. Denver's Civic Center, across the park from the state capitol, is lit each Christmas season with an impressive display that brings thousands to the city center on every night it's lit. Christmas stars light several Colorado towns like Castle Rock and Palmer Lake. As I've noted other years, Colorado also has a global role with Christmas as NORAD tracks Santa Claus while he travels around the world each Christmas Eve.

Also as with years before, I have a list of railroads and layouts across Colorado that host special Christmas events. This year I have them grouped by metro area. One final note before the listings: Reservations, where possible, are strongly encouraged as these events have a tendency to sell out at the last minute.

State's Sale of Railroad Has Colorado's Citizens Fearing the Future

Eads, Colo. Sept 30, 1989 Photo: Jeff Van Cleve

There was a time, 25 years ago, when a long stretch of rail in eastern Colorado was a vital link for Rio Grande, connecting Pueblo to Kansas City via trackage rights that Rio Grande picked up when Rock Island fell into Union Pacific. Long before that, the Colorado Eagle brought countless passengers across the Kansas prairie to Pueblo Union Depot and up the Joint Line to Denver's Union Station using Rio Grande crews. The Missouri Pacific built 152 mile-route to Pueblo in 1887 as a means for Jay Gould to rival the Union Pacific.

POTD - How Does One Fire An F9?

The characteristic curve of the window should be a tip to the railroad-minded about the location of the photographer when they snapped this picture of the Colorado River and the railroad right of way in July 1977. The shot is from the fireman's seat aboard the Rio Grande Zephyr in the cab of EMD F9 5771 heading east out of Glenwood Springs into Glenwood Canyon. In 25 years, the last remnant of the old California Zephyr will be a distant memory and the last of the Rio Grande covered wagons are preserved at the Colorado Railroad Museum..

Photo: Eric Sherrill

Thank You, Veterans

Today is 11/11/11. At the 11th hour on November 11th, 1918 hostilities were concluded in the Great War, World War I. In March 1917, the United States committed itself to the war when the Zimmerman Note was intercepted and made public. As many as 9 Million combatants died. Today, it's almost a footnote, which troubles this historian.

POTD - Ski Train F-40s Led Home By Familiar Face

Jim Burrill presented at the Hugo roundhouse meeting in March with Steve Lee on UP Steam. Back in December of 2000, he managed to catch Rio Grande GP-60 3154 resting at the southern end of Union Station with the then-active Ski Train after one of the F-40PH engines developed trouble on the run to Winter Park. Only recently replaced by the F-40s purchased from Amtrak by ANSCO, 3154 was a common sight on the Ski Train up to the 2000 season.

Photo: Jim Burrill

POTD - Snow And Hunter Orange On the Western Slope

If there was one thing this picture reminds me of, it's hunting! Yes, to keep their crews safe during hunting season, BNSF paints their locomotives in hunter orange! Well, maybe. But even so, it makes for a nifty side benefit, right? A BNSF coal drag makes it's way past Dotsero early on in February 2010.

Photo of the Day: Scott McClarrinon

POTD - Snow and Steam

Chris May, known popularly as GhoSStrider, is no stranger to POTD, but the last time he was featured he was chasing the Cheyenne Frontier Days special and his feature ran in early August! Quite the change here as he catches a volunteer dismount Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad engine 346 one cold December morning.

Photo: GhoSStrider

Durango & Silverton Hosts the Polar Express 2011

The Polar Express, of book and movie fame, is coming to Durango for this Christmas season. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad put this video together promoting it. It's worth watching, even if you're a little cynical about how much fun a train full of kids can be.



For under 5 minutes, this is one of the best promotional spots I've seen in years. It's very true to the spirit of the book and I hope the same holds true of the ride. Highball, Polar Express!

POTD - Early Snowy Weather

This week will have three Photos of the Day, all themed towards snow, since snow has already fallen--and stuck!--on most of Colorado's mountains and plains last week. So, for all you snow hounds, dust off the skis and find your snow gear, because this week's for you.

If you are looking for a seasoned veteran, Chris Nuthall has been around Colorado's railroads for quite some time now, as evidenced by the following shot of Rio Grande SD40T-2 #5358 at Glenwood Springs with green leaves to the left and snow gracing the mountains above, definitely inconsistent weather that's consistent with Colorado! Incidentally, this was taken October 31, 1981, 30 years ago today! With such composition, I have to say she still looks great!

Photo: Chris Nuthall

If you like this one, you can always go back for seconds. 

UP 844 Tours Colorado, Fuels Positive Perceptions

As I write this, Union Pacific 844, the FEF-3 that never retired, sits at the top of the world ...well, the top of the Palmer Divide, anyway. It is as high in elevation that it will get along the entire goodwill tour, edging out Altamont, Wyoming by only 7 feet in elevation, according to UP elevation measurements.

Rio Grande 463 Scheduled to Return In 2012

The Monte Vista Journal did an article that serves as an update on Mudhen 463, under restoration in the San Luis Valley. The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic have set March 31, 2012 as the completion date, despite the restoration requiring more work than anticipated, resulting in a $240,000 shortfall. Hopefully, next season sees the smallest and oldest of the surviving 2-8-2 Mikados back on the rails!

DUSPA: Public Invited to Interior Redesign Meeting Nov 3

The Denver Union Station Project Authority is hosting a meeting to hear presentations of two competing ideas for the interior re-development of Denver's Union Station. The press release follows below.