Making History in May!
May is bursting out all over—and beautiful weather is part of the equation. Here at the Colorado Railroad Museum, this month will feature coal-fired steam locomotives, train rides, prehistoric activities, and fun for the whole family!
Join us in Golden for our first-ever Triple Steam Days weekend (May 15-16)! Photographs are welcome and encouraged. Later in the month (May 29), families won’t want to miss the return of our popular Dinosaur Express event!
Starting Thursday, May 13, we’ll have Train Rides available Thursday-Sunday through mid-August. And joining this expanded Train Ride schedule are weekly activities for Thrilling Thursday, Friday Tours, and our popular Saturday-Sunday “Touring the Rails” live interpretation program!
We hope you’ll join us for one or more of these upcoming opportunities in May:
Train Rides Thursday-Sunday – Starting Thursday, May 13 and continuing through Sunday, August 15, come visit the Museum and ride trains four days each week.
Triple Steam Days – Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16, join us for this first-time-ever event, when all three of the Museum’s coal-fired locomotives will be under steam and operating!
Dinosaur Express Train Returns – Steam train rides, dinosaurs, family-friendly activities and more, all coming to a primeval railroad museum near you on Saturday, May 29!
Member Appreciation Days - Thank you for supporting our mission - you're invited to celebrate our success throughout the year with Behind-the-Scenes Tours and rides in exclusive equipment!
Coming Soon – The next Colorado Rails & Cocktails event is just around the corner, in early June. And, Thomas the Tank Engine will be returning in September; we’ll be announcing on-sale dates next month.
We’re delighted that COVID-19 restrictions are finally easing! But, we remain dedicated to keeping everyone safe, something the Colorado Railroad Museum has focused on since the pandemic’s beginning. Masks are still required for Museum entry (and must be worn indoors and aboard trains), and social distancing is encouraged, even when outdoors.
Our team is excited to be bringing you a full lineup of activities for 2021. We hope to see you soon at the Museum!
Paul Hammond
Executive Director
IN THIS ISSUE:
Triple Steam Days!
Dinosaur Express Train
Train Rides Thursday-Sunday
Member Appreciation Day
Colorado Rails & Cocktails (June)
Coming Soon – Summer Highlights!
The Latest Online Content
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Triple Steam Days!
Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16
For the first time in its 62-year history, the Colorado Railroad Museum will have three coal-fired narrow-gauge locomotives under steam and operating for two days in May! This first-ever-of-its-kind event will offer fans of Colorado history an exciting opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a time when steam locomotives were an important part of the state’s transportation network, its economy, and its social fabric.
For this event, three different locomotives will be featured and under steam! These include Rio Grande Southern steam locomotive No. 20 (vintage 1899, it debuted in 2020 after a 14-year, $2M+ restoration); Colorado’s oldest operating steam locomotive, Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 346 (vintage 1881, celebrating its 140th birthday!); and Colorado’s largest coal-fired steam locomotive, Denver & Rio Grande Western class K-37 No. 491 (vintage 1927).
Both Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16, the Museum grounds will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A parade of all three locomotives will kick things off at 9:30 a.m. each morning, with Train Rides beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing every half-hour until 3 p.m. Special double-headed steam trains will operate at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. both days. Locomotive No. 491 will return to the roundhouse after the morning’s parade and remain there, under steam, for viewing and occasional demonstration trips onto the turntable.
Regular admission and train ride ticket prices apply. Museum members of course enjoy free admission and train rides. Capacity is limited, so advance reservations are suggested. Click here to reserve your tickets for Triple Steam Days!
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Dinosaur Express Train
Saturday, May 29
Make fresh tracks through prehistory with a day of exciting activities and surprises for the whole family! Ride behind a coal-fired steam locomotive, and follow the dinosaur tracks around the Museum’s 15-acre railyard. Enjoy dinosaur themed activities hosted by Dinosaur Ridge and Morrison Natural History Museum.
Check out a dinosaur-themed LEGO Layout created by the Denver Lego Users Group, and build your own dinosaur creations. Meet “Mr. Bones” along with our famous Spike the Railroad Dog. Food, drink and tasty treats available. Face mask required for entry, and must be worn indoors and while riding trains.
Dinosaur Express Train activities take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and are included with regular Museum admission. Enjoy Steam Train Rides (optional, additional fee) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as well! Museum members of course enjoy free admission and train rides. Capacity is limited, and advance reservations are suggested.
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Train Rides (and more) Thursday-Sunday!
Expanded Summer Schedule Begins May 13
This summer, the Colorado Railroad Museum has something fun planned every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from May 13 through August 15! Climb aboard for train rides all four days each weekend, and enjoy the Museum’s outdoor campus with fresh air and plenty of rich railroad heritage. Here’s a Quick Rundown:
Thursdays: Join us for Thrilling Thursdays 10 a.m. - 2 p.m! Each Thursday features special guests and demonstrations. (Included with regular Museum Admission).
Fridays: Every Friday, join us for an hour of exploring a different aspect of Colorado’s railroad history with a themed, guided tour! ($3 per person, in addition to regular Museum Admission.)
Saturdays and Sundays: Join us each weekend for Touring the Rails! Volunteers are stationed at key locations throughout our outdoor Railyard to answer questions and point out some of railroading’s less obvious but more universal aspects between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Included with regular Museum Admission).
Train Rides: Departing Thursday through Sunday, every half-hour 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ride aboard open-air cars pulled by a small but mighty diesel-electric locomotive. ($4 adults, $2 children ages 6-17, in addition to regular Museum Admission. Free for members).
Regular Museum admission prices apply. Face mask required for Museum entry. Advance reservations are suggested. Train Ride tickets (separate from admission) are $4 adults, $2 ages 2-17 and seniors. Click here to reserve today!
Remember, Museum Membership provides free admission and regular train rides year-round! Not a member? Visit ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org/membership to learn more, or call us at (303) 279-4591 during business hours. All Aboard!
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Member Appreciation Day
Sunday May 30, 2021
Membership does have its privileges, and for 2021 the Colorado Railroad Museum is offering four Member Appreciation Days. The first is scheduled for Sunday, May 30. If you are a Museum member, we hope to see you there!
Catch a Train Ride, and enjoy an exclusive Members-Only Railroad Car added to the train for your riding enjoyment. It could be a caboose, or a combination coach-baggage, maybe even our new First Class Car which debuted for the 2020 Polar Express Train Ride. And only members get to ride aboard this car! We do suggest reservations if you have a particular Train Ride time in mind.
Another exclusive opportunity on Member Appreciation Day is a special Behind the Scenes Tour. For May 30, we’ll be featuring a Garden Railroading experience, including a tour of the Denver Garden Railway Society layout! Tours will begin at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. (ages 8 and older for this tour, please). Capacity is limited, so reserve your tour space in advance!
Learn more and reserve admission, train ride, and tour tickets online!
Guests participating in the tour are encouraged to wear appropriate, close-toed footwear, and be able to walk over uneven ground for assistance. Future Member Appreciation Days are scheduled for Sunday, June 20 (Fathers Day), Sunday, August 15, and Sunday, October 24, 2021. All Aboard!
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Colorado Rails & Cocktails
Join us for an evening of Colorado railroad history on Friday, June 4! The topic will be “Running a 19th Century Railroad in the 21st Century,” presented by John Bush, former President and General Manager of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Jointly owned by Colorado and New Mexico since 1970, the Cumbres & Toltec is celebrating 50 years of operation.
Originally built in1881 as part of the Denver & Rio Grande’s narrow gauge railroad network, its line traversed 64 miles of some of the most beautiful country between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico, carrying goods from area mines and various agricultural and industrial operations. Today the railroad preserves its story by running scenic train excursions along its historic line between May and October.
We’re pleased to resume this popular series, which paused in 2020 due to the pandemic. Every other month through October, a different, illustrated topic will be presented by a guest lecturer. Relax, enjoy a beverage, and travel back in time. Bar opens at 7 p.m. and the presentation starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. in our outdoor pavilion (Note these times have changed from previous years).
Seating is limited and reservations are required. Admission is $20 per person, ages 21 and older only. Admission includes two beverages of your choice (beer, wine or soda) plus snacks. Presentation length varies by topic!
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Coming Soon: Day Out With Thomas!
Peep, peep! Day Out With Thomas™ will return to the Colorado Railroad Museum for three weekends: September 11-12, 18-19, and 25-26. “Party Train Tour” is the theme for this year’s event, and indeed this will be a fun-filled event for Thomas friends and their families!
In 2020, the Colorado Railroad Museum successfully and safely hosted Day Out With Thomas™, with reduced capacities for admission and train rides. The event was SOLD OUT all three weekends, and since we will be limiting capacity once again, we expect a similar response for Day Out With Thomas 2021.
Museum members will have an exclusive, advance opportunity to purchase tickets beginning in mid-to-late July. Tickets will be available for purchase by non-members starting in early August. Not a member? Stay Tuned!
More information will be released as available at www.ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org!
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The Latest Online Content
New Virtual Programs Now Available!
During the month of April, the Colorado Railroad Museum’s staff team created a full lineup of new programs that YOU can experience in the comfort of your own home. All Aboard, Online!
Our newest Big Train Tour takes a look at the history of a monument that once graced the roadside along U.S. highway 24/6 in Glenwood Canyon, and the back story behind the idea of the now-ubiquitous railroad dome car. And, the Museum’s most recent Small Wonders episode looks at the Museum’s newest exhibit, Across the Fruited Plain: Migrating West to Colorado by Rail.
Also available are new episodes of all our popular, ongoing series, including the latest Story Time & Craft. Learn about the origins of the Fred Harvey company as you read the background for the SantaFe Baked Ham with Lewellyn Sauce recipe featured in our latest Dining on the Rails post.
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New Colorado Rail Annual
An all-new Museum publication, Colorado Rail Annual No. 34: Take The Pike’s Peak Route is at the printer! This new work by authors Adrian and Art Hundhausen details the Colorado Midland’s history from 1887 to 1900, along with the human side of the Midland narrative.
Colorful stories found in this new volume include the trials and tribulations of Midland employees, drunken Swedish miners who fell off the train, and a father chasing his runaway daughter to Leadville serve as fascinating examples. Interesting chapters such as “Spooky Victorian Railroad Stations and Hotels,” “Ride With a Mormon to Old Mexico,” and “Trip With a Kodak over Hagerman Pass” compel further reading.
Salient topics – such as the 1894 Cripple Creek Strike and the Pullman boycott in Colorado – are covered in much greater detail than in previous books. A selection of timetables and advertising brochures is faithfully reproduced, showcasing the vivid color and imaginative illustrations used by Colorado Midland in the 19th century. Plentiful diagrams of Pullman cars, maps of Midland trackage, and schematics of depots are included.
This carefully researched and artistically written work features 368 pages filled with 461 illustrations, including 86 in full color; 27 maps; 35 plans and equipment drawings; extensive endnotes; and an index. Casebound and smythe-sewn, with a handsome full-color dustjacket, oblong 11”x8-1/2”. $79.95 (don't forget your member discount applies)!
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