Georgetown Loop Railroad
Georgetown Loop Railroad
P.O. Box 249
Georgetown, CO 80444
Toll Free Reservations
1-888-456-6777
Fax Number
303-569-2184
General Inquiries
Tom.Hill@historicrailadventures.com
Overview
Just As It Was ...
The Georgetown Loop Railroad was one of Colorado’s first visitor attractions. Completed in 1884, this spectacular stretch of three-foot narrow gauge railroad was considered an engineering marvel for its time.
The thriving mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume lie two miles apart in a steep, narrow mountain canyon. To connect them, the railroad’s builders designed a “corkscrew†route that traveled twice the distance, slowly gaining more than 600 feet in elevation. It included horseshoe curves, grades of up to 4%, and four bridges across Clear Creek, including the massive Devil’s Gate High Bridge. The Colorado & Southern Railway operated the line for passengers and freight from 1899 to 1938, when it was abandoned.
In 1973, the Colorado Historical Society began restoring the railroad as part of its 978-acre Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park. A replica of the High Bridge was completed in 1984, in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its original construction.
Learn more about our History
Birth of a Historic Park
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, over time, negotiated a donation of mining claims and mills, and 978 acres of land. Rail line construction began in 1973 with track and ties donated by the Union Pacific Railroad.
The Train
The Loop takes you between Georgetown and Silver Plume, over 2 miles apart, the tracks scale an elevation of 640 feet over mountainous terrain, requiring trestles, cuts, fills, loops, and curves totaling 3.1 miles of narrow gauge track. Today the Loop is once again a popular tourist attraction and an exceptional way to see the Clear Creek Valley. Along the route visitors may stop for a guided tour of the historic Lebanon Silver Mine, and view wildlife in its natural habitat. The train park includes an 1884 depot, two 1860s mines, an 1871 mill building, four reconstructed mine buildings, a locomotive maintenance building, the 1874 Pohle House, and a new rolling stock shelter.
Learn more about our Rolling Stock
Lebanon Silver Mine
You can enhance your train ride with an optional walking tour of the Lebanon Silver Mine, located at the halfway point on the railroad. The tour takes you 500 feet into a mine tunnel bored in the 1870s. Your guide will point out rich veins of silver and tell you about early-day mining. The temperature inside the mine is a constant 44 degrees Fahrenheit, so bring a jacket. The tour also includes visits to the manager’s office, the miners’ change room and the tool shed.
Copyright © 2009 Colorado Historical Society.
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