A Long Tradition
This issue of the Colorado Railroad Museum Rail Report continues the long tradition of information sent to members of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, keeping them up to date on current events and Club happenings. As the Rocky Club becomes part of the Museum, we’re excited to share the Rail Report with anyone interested in following the continuing stories of Colorado railroading, preservation and more!
For those of you who are members of the Rocky Club and were unable to attend the picnic on August 17th, you will soon receive your membership card in the postal mail from the Colorado Railroad Museum. If you have any questions about your membership at the Museum, please reach out to Membership Manager, Maddie Schaaf, at maddie@crrm.org.
If you have received this email as a forward from someone else, please click here to continue receiving the Rail Report monthly. And if you know of someone who might be interested, please forward and share!
We’re delighted to continue a long tradition with a new look and feel. Welcome aboard.
Paul Hammond Dave Schaaf
Executive Director Rail Report Editor
Bringing up the rear: On August 17th, the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club held its final picnic at the Colorado Railroad Museum, bringing together over 100 members for a day filled with camaraderie and reflection. While the event marked the end of the Club’s long and storied chapter, it also signaled a new beginning as the Museum welcomed members into its community. Awards were presented, prizes were raffled off and the Club announced the allocation of its remaining funds for donation. Each attendee received a Museum membership card, providing two years of membership with free admission and train rides year-round, plus access to over 1,000 institutions nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) program. The Club’s legacy will live on through its members and their continued dedication to railroad preservation.
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Above images courtesy of Dave Cohen ©2025
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Rail-Related Updates
- The Colorado Railroad Museum has just unveiled a new exhibit featuring the winners of the 2025 Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s John E. Gruber Awards. Located in the main hallway and staircase of the Museum Depot, the exhibit showcases 16 captivating photographs centered around the theme “Smoke.” Among the featured artists is longtime Rocky Mountain Railroad Club member James Ehernberger, whose work is included in this year’s winning selection. Congratulations, Jim!
- There will be an open house with Denver & Intermountain Railroad Car 25 on September 20th in Lakewood, Colorado. Click Here for details!
Come take a ride! This interurban car was owned for about 60 years and restored by the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club.
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Rail Watch
Current highlights and on-the-ground happenings in railroading today.
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| Denver based company Rocky Mountain Industrials, Inc. (RMI) has entered into an agreement with Patriot Rail to provide operational and rail-related services to customers within the new Rocky Mountain Rail Park. Rail service at the
Rocky Mountain Rail Park, which is comprised of approximately 620 acres
and located next to the Colorado Air and Space Port in Adams County along
the greater Denver area I-70 growth corridor, features direct interchange
with Union Pacific via their Limon Subdivision line.
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Patriot Rail 1010 at Rocky Mountain Rail Park west of Bennett, Colorado, August 8, 2025. ©2025 -Chip-
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Former Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Locker / Lunch Room Building 9 demolished (center pile of debris) next to the back shop at the Burnham shops complex. This property is now owned by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), which authorized the demolition of the former Union Pacific Denver Locomotive buildings. These were last used in February 2016. © -Chip- 5 August 2025.
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Amtrak’s Operation Lifesaver unit 203, a GE P42DC, was on the California Zephyr at Denver Union Station on August 6, 2025.This specially painted locomotive is used to promote grade crossing safety. On track 5 was Rocky Mountaineer 8020 with its 10-car train for Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and then on the next day to Moab, Utah. ©2025 -Chip-
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Westbound Union Pacific 6045, AC44CWCTE, and UP 4533, SD70M, handled a
10 car OCS passenger special out of North Yard, Denver, Colorado, to Grand Junction, Colorado, on August 11, 2025. This was a deadhead move to position equipment out west. ©2025-Chip-
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Vestas Wind Energy factory at Windsor, Colorado, shipped 66 cars of wind blades via OmniTrax’s Great Western Railway then interchanged to BNSF at Fort Collins, Colorado. The unit train was led by BNSF 7703 on the BNSF’s Front Range Subdivision bound for Jamestown, North Dakota. ©2025-Chip-
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Rocky Mountain Rail Preservation
A Tale of Three Locomotives (part 2)
By John Bush
In 2013, I rejoined the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&TSRR) as President & General Manager. I had cosmetically restored D&RGW locomotive No. 168 in Colorado Springs 29 years earlier as detailed in part one.
While it had not been vandalized in the ensuing years it was beginning to look shabby, and the character of the park had changed from a family picnic and recreational place to one in which the homeless congregated, along with the associated behaviors that made it unappealing to families.
Dan Love, one of the C&TSRR commissioners from Colorado, had a dream of creating an historically correct train to run occasionally on the railroad. He was thinking of using one of the K-36s to power the train but I suggested I knew of a locomotive that was restorable and appropriate to the time frame 1904/1925 that he envisioned for the historic consist. As the son of Governor John Love, Dan has deep connections in Colorado Springs. Together, we approached the Parks and Recreation department in a public meeting to get their support before moving on to the City Council.
In my presentation, I pointed out that I had restored the 168 cosmetically in 1981/1984. During the original rededication, I stated that seeing the locomotive restored to a condition that looked ready to run brought a sense of life and presence that simply can't be captured in a photograph. I told the Parks & Recreation department that while paintings, photographs, and static preserved items help us understand history, objects like sailing ships, airplanes, and steam locomotives must be seen under sail, in the air, or moving under their own power on the rails to be fully appreciated. I then pointed out that William Jackson Palmer had founded Colorado Springs. He had built the Rio Grande, part of which is now preserved as the C&TSRR. He ordered No. 168 to be built in 1883 when he was at the height of his power and influence on Colorado history. I concluded by saying that we were now at a “Free Willy” moment (referring to the 1993 movie in which the whale is released from captivity in the aquarium to return to the ocean). By allowing us to lease and rebuild No. 168 for operation on the rails it was built for, we could free the engine from a park and put it back to work doing what it was built to do, where it was built to work. The audience cheered at the reference and the Parks and Recreation board voted unanimously in favor of the project.
Following that approval we worked with the city council to craft an agreement acceptable to both the C&TSRR and the City of Colorado Springs. While the City was unable to give the railroad a 99-year lease, it was allowed by its policies to provide an agreement for 3 consecutive 15 year leases. C&TSRR agreed to pay moving costs, fund the restoration by donations and grants, and allow inspection by the city with notification. Repairs and maintenance are the responsibility of the C&TSRR, and when the locomotive is returned, it will be in condition suitable for display. All residents of Colorado Springs are eligible for discounted fares on the C&TSRR during the time of the lease.
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Engine No. 168 was loaded onto two trucks on September 23rd, 2015, and delivered to the C&TSRR the following morning. On October 12th it was photographed at the water tank in Antonito to preserve its National Historic Register status. Because it still had the tubes it had last run with before being placed on display in 1938, we performed a hydrostatic test. The boiler was filled with water, the safety valves were “gagged” and the pressure was raised to 125% of the 160-psi operating pressure. It held without leakage. A very good sign.
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On October 12, 2015, No. 168 was photographed at the water tank in Antonito.
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In January of 2017 Efstathios (Stathi) Pappas joined the railroad. Because of his knowledge and experience with steam locomotives, he was given the job of managing the restoration of the locomotive and the historic car fleet it was to pull. I thought it could be done for between $500,000 and $750,000. Stathi generated a careful cost estimate for restoration to operating condition. He concluded that the restoration to FRA acceptable condition could be done for $500,000. Fundraising began, donations and grants were given by the Gates Foundation, El Pomar Foundation, the Narrow Gauge Preservation Foundation, the C&TS Historic Preservation Association, The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, Trains magazine, and several private donors. Stathi has provided a description of the work undertaken to return the locomotive to service. Stathi Pappas is now the General Manager of the California Western Railroad in Fort Bragg California.
From Stathi Pappas:
Locomotive 168 was an amazingly well-preserved example of a 19th century locomotive that had survived a very long service life and was one of the first locomotives to be preserved by being put on display in a park setting. The fact it had received a new boiler in 1915 was a significant benefit to returning the locomotive to service. The pressure vessel was well designed, fabricated of very high-quality materials, and the fabrication quality of the DRG shops was more than adequate. However, even with this significant good fortune, there were many things about the locomotive that were significant challenges to returning the locomotive to operation.
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The running gear of the engine was where the majority of the major pressure points lay. The largest single issue was the condition of the wrought iron frame, which had numerous poor quality bare electrode welds that had been applied to keep the engine in service during the early 20th century. The primary issue with these breaks and repairs is that the base material is not homogenous as steel is, but is instead alternating layers of metallic iron and slag or a man-made version of volcanic glass. However, only a few years later, locomotive frames of homogenous steel with far higher tensile strengths replaced the use of wrought iron for very good reason.
These welds were completely cut out to unadulterated wrought iron and welded utilizing coated electrodes and a procedure I developed for the task. This approach rendered ductile, high strength repairs of the highly stressed areas, that were perfectly bonded to the original fabric of the frame. Three months and 350 lbs of welding rod later, the frame was stronger than original, and the historic integrity of the locomotive preserved.
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In addition to this work, there were so many other things that were rebuilt, renewed, or replaced to yield a locomotive that would stand up to the rigors of frontline service. I was assisted in this restoration by a talented team of mechanics, machinists and laborers who were employed by the railroad at that time. The crew included Scott Kennedy (now with the Durango & Silverton), Austin Goodwin, Dylan Hutson, (now with the Strasburg Railroad), Max Casias, Adam Phillips, Jake Vigil, Carlos Llamas, Evan Martinez, and Jose Rodriguez.
During disassembly, it was clear there were lots of things that had not been done particularly well by D&RG shop crews. The cross-head guides were an inch and a quarter (!!!!) out of parallel with the cylinder bores, the swing center of the lead truck was 3/8” to the left side of the locomotive, the hub liners on the number three axle had worn away to the point that the back of the driver tires had worn half way through the side of the boiler, and all manner of other “fun” things were discovered. As such, a total rebuilding of the running gear was necessary to allow the locomotive to operate in any reliable form.
Cylinders were bored, valve port surfaces re-machined, crosshead guide bars completely re-machined and relined to the cylinder bores, cross heads re-babbitted and machined, new shoes and wedges machined, lead truck completely rebuilt and trammed, swing center rocker points rebored in the proper locations and bushed, and the list goes on. The locomotive was trammed to within a couple thousandths of an inch of perfect, as the foundation running gear being true is the first step in rebuilding a locomotive that runs many thousands of miles with minimal maintenance. We riveted a new tender tank for the purpose and reused all components for trim, hardware, safety appliances, etc. to preserve as much original fabric as possible. The Friends of the Cumbres and Toltec built the replica cab and pilot, matching the original (or at least, the original drawings) as closely as possible.
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| The boiler jacket was fabricated from number 8 polished steel, oxide blued to match the treated boiler jackets of the pre-WWI era as closely as possible, and riveted with copper rivets as was the practice of the time. All lettering was hand painted as would have been the case, and even the paints utilized were alkyd oil based, lacking only the lead oxide of the era due to health concerns. A lot of thought went into each curatorial decision, based upon the best data available to us at the time, because No. 168 mattered. And at the end of the project, she shone...
Even a good candidate for rehabilitation still requires a lot of real precision work, and No. 168 was no exception. There are no more “cream puff” candidates in captivity anymore, but with the proper commitment to the Baldwin Standards and other accepted practices, the locomotive will perform as the builders intended for another tour of duty. When one reads the historic accounts of the era of the first run after a new locomotive was delivered and set up, the pride and awe of the 19th century in the ingenuity and ability of human beings to create something magical was palpable. That first day was a taste of that world again for those of us involved.
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On our first run of No. 168, she ran like the wind, her machinery perfectly quiet, leaning into the curves with a grace and surefootedness only a 19th century passenger engine can embody. Time stood still, and she was new again, and ready for service. Would that we could be rebuilt when we reach her age for another tour of duty….
The wooden cab and pilot were built by a Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec (FOCTS) team led by Craig McMullen. The team included Dean Meyers, John Engs, Don Atkinson, Ron Schaefer, Mike Brabec and Tom Simco. The railroad provided the materials and the FOCTS provided the labor and expertise. The savings realized because of this team's efforts allowed enough funding to cover the cost of replacing all six of the driver tires. The old tires had good contour, but were on their last turning, and would need replacement before the 168 would be due for another 1472-day inspection.
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On a day 4 years and 7 days after it was pulled out of the park in Colorado Springs, and 82 years and 126 days since it had last run on May 27, 1937, the completed 168 ran under it’s own power on September 27, 2019.
Even before it was rebuilt, it started earning revenue for the C&TSRR by being used in a commercial that was shot in February 2016. It was used again in October 2020 for another commercial shoot. It was officially dedicated on May 21,2021 and has since been used in numerous charter operations. In June 2025, it was used for two weeks to pull regular passenger trains from Antonito to Osier and back, when the C&TSRR had only one operable K-36.
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On May 21, 2021, with the historic consist on the day it was officially dedicated.
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At Cresco Tank, double headed with locomotive 425.
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A bit of Rocky Mountain Railroad Club History
By Jim Ehernberger
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Following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, many early Rocky Club members went into military service. It was not until their return that the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club shifted into high gear. The first post-war excursion took place on the Rio Grande Southern on the weekend of July 13-14, 1946. John Maxwell, Club President, arranged to charter one of their "motors", better known as a "Galloping Goose." As it turned out, 20 Club members witnessed unusual conditions that would not soon be forgotten. Due to mechanical failures, it took three of these “Geese” to handle their two-day charter excursion between Ridgway and Durango. They experienced a broken fan belt pulley shaft, and two of the Geese experienced burned-out rod bearings. The “lame” Geese were repaired overnight. Superintendent Boucher made quick decisions by shifting passengers to a third vehicle. At that time, a regular schedule was in operation, handling freight and mail shipments, which was maintained as well. On the return day, similar problems occurred. The freight box had its door propped open, allowing some members to ride there. It was a most exciting ride leaving Lizard Head station, almost frightening, and then upon arrival at Ridgway, Goose number 4 suffered another failure. After unloading the passengers, the Goose was backing to the engine house lead when a rear drive wheel broke off! Just another typical day of operation on this struggling narrow-gauge railroad.
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Goose 5 at the Placerville station is displaying white flags, indicating it was an ‘extra’ movement. The Rio Grande Southern was in bankruptcy and went into receivership in 1929. As a cost-saving way to economize, the railroad created these ‘motors’ that only required the motorman and eliminated the expense of a full steam train and crew. The date is July 13, 1946. Joseph Schick Photo/James L. Ehernberger Collection.
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Goose 5 at Ridgway on August 30. 1950. After the unfortunate explosion of its only rotary snow plow in 1949, and the Government cancellation of its mail contract, the railroad converted the old freight boxes in order to provide summer excursion service. Surplus Denver streetcar seats were obtained and installed for the passengers. The final year for this service ended on September 30, 1951. Joseph Schick Photo/James L. Ehernberger Collection.
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We’re saddened to report that renowned steam preservationist Ross Rowland passed away on July 19 at age 85, following a brief battle with cancer. Rowland formed High Iron Company in 1966 to operate steam excursions in the Northeast and Midwest, culminating in the operation of the Golden Spike Centennial Limited in 1969 and the 1976 American Freedom Train project. He was involved in several other steam projects across the next 25 years, notably a series of excursions operated on NJ Transit between Hoboken and Port Jervis using his Chesapeake & Ohio 614. In recent months, Rowland brokered the sale of 614 to new owners to help orchestrate its move to Strasburg, PA, for a planned restoration to operation.
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Content contributions this month from Chip Sherman, John Bush,
Jim Ehernberger, and Dave Cohen.
Editorial assistance from Dave Schaaf, Paul Hammond and Maddie Schaaf.
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| Thanks to our generous Sponsors & Partners
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