Museum
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Colorado Railroad Museum"Preserving a record of Colorado's dynamic railroads" |
Golden, Co / May 2023 / image and artwork RWH
n the late 1940s when Colorado’s narrow gauge railroad companies started going out of business, Robert W. Richardson began collecting rolling stock, railway records, and other pieces of equipment in an effort to preserve Colorado history. Bob’s collection quickly outgrew the available space at his Museum in Alamosa, Colorado and in 1958, with the help of his friend Cornelius Hauck, Richardson moved the Museum to Golden, Colorado. Once in Golden, Richardson built a replica narrow gauge railroad station to serve as the main Museum building. With the help of volunteers he started laying track for 50 pieces of equipment and built a motel to help fund the Museum.
he Colorado Railroad Museum is situated on 15 acres of land along the Clear Creek in Golden, Colorado, just west of Denver. The museum was established in 1959 to preserve a record of Colorado's prolific railroad era — particularly the Centennial state's pioneering narrow-gauge mountain railroads. As such, the collection boasts a large assortment of 36" gauge locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment — including two specimens of the Rio Grande Southern's world-famous "Galloping Geese" railcars. Other rare items on display include three Pikes Peak cog engines, the oldest steam locomotive surviving in Colorado, and the only surviving standard gauge steam engine of the Denver, Rio Grande & Western Railroad. In 1964, the nonprofit Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation was formed to assume ownership and operation of the Museum. Today, two depot buildings house many interpretive exhibits, a research library, a gift shop, and a large HO model railroad. Meanwhile, all of the full-size railroad equipment is displayed outdoors. Numerous display tracks include a rare three-way stub switch, dual gauge trackage, and turnouts with century-old switch stands. These yard tracks hold over 100 historic narrow and standard gauge locomotives and cars. A third-of-a-mile narrow-gauge loop encircles the property, used by trains on operating days. The Robert W. Richardson Library houses over 10,000 rare historic photographs, along with other reference materials such as timetables, maps, employee records and engineering documents about Colorado railroads. In 2000, the museum built a 5-stall roundhouse and turntable facility.
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collection
1966 tourist train guide ad / collection
2019 tourist train guide ad / collection
postcard / collection
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collection
from Steam Locomotive & Railroad Tradition
magazine 8 - Jun 1961 / collection
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postcard / collection
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Main Museum Depot
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Click to see the Colorado Railroad Museum plotted on a Google Maps page
postcard / collection
Robert W. Richardson Library
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collection
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obert W. Richardson and Cornelius W. Hauck opened the Colorado Railroad Museum in 1959. Then, and now, our mission is dedicated to preserving for future generations a tangible record of Colorado’s dynamic railroad era and particularly its pioneering, narrow gauge mountain railroads. In 1964, the nonprofit Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation was formed to assume ownership and operation of the Museum.
Cornelius W. Hauck Roundhouse
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collection
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Golden, Co / May 2023 / image and artwork RWH
Scrapbooks
See also these related Colorado scrapbooks:
- Denver Rio Grande & Western scrapbook in Mainlines
- Rio Grande Southern scrapbook in Shortlines
- Moffat Tunnel East Portal scrapbook in Preservation
- Moffat Road Railroad Museum scrapbook in Preservation
- Denver Great Stations scrapbook in Amtrak Mainlines
- California Zephyr Central Route scrapbook in Mainlines
Golden, Co / Jun 1959 / image JCH artwork RWH
Publications
brochure / collection
brochure / collection
collection
collection
1966 tourist train guide ad / collection
1971 tourist train guide ad / collection
1980 tourist train guide ad / collection
1986 tourist train guide ad / collection
1989 tourist train guide ad / collection
1994 tourist train guide ad / collection
1998 tourist train guide ad / collection
2001 tourist train guide ad / collection
2013 tourist train guide ad / collection
2019 tourist train guide ad / collection
Lagniappe
Rocky Mountain Ties
image and artwork RWH
Mr. Richardson's Dream
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Misty Mountain Morning
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Generational Affair
image and artwork RWH
All Chiefs, No Indians
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Covered Wagon Train
image and artwork RWH
They All Make Haste
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Summer Oasis
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Little Red Caboose
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Come See the Future
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Hands Off the Merchandise
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You're Still Number One
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There Once Was a Time
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All Stop for Richardson
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Through the Rockies — Never Around
image and artwork RWH
The General Motors Mark
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A Font Never Fading
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The Boys Are Back in Town
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Parent Child Meeting
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North Western with a Space
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Rare Gauge of the Southwest
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Parking Space
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Burlington's Beast
image and artwork RWH
Office on Wheels
image and artwork RWH
"The Scenic Line"
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Goose Hunting
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The Lines of Ingenuity
image and artwork RWH
Come Ride the Action Road
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Slim Gauge in Such Style
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That Old Time Religion
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Light in the Darkness
image and artwork RWH
Rest for the Weary
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Seek and You Shall Find
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Extra Board
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See also Ella's complete Extra Board image collection in Lagniappe
Snapshots
Golden, Co / Jun 1959 / Lucile Hawkins
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May 2023 / ETH
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May 2023 / ETH
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Golden, Co / May 2023 / ETH
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RWH
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Links / Sources
- Colorado Railroad Museum website
- Wikipedia article for Colorado Railroad Museum
- Uncover Colorado Colorado Railroad Museum page
