The narrow gauge is back in Pine after 80 years!

Shelly Means photo, December 30, 2017

"For the first time in 80 years, the narrow gauge railroad is returning to Pine Grove."  So runs a January 5th, 2018 Park County news article.  Pine was, in the time of the South Park and later C&S, the location of a coaling dock.  The memory of the importance of coal and the railroad has now been commemorated in a new display.

On December 30th, 2017, an old Rio Grande gondola was installed on a rebuilt segment of track in Pine Grove History Park.  Jim Jordan of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Heritage Society worked with Lindsey Ashby, who donated the car, to help make the new display happen.  The DSP&P Historical Society was responsible for laying the tracks.

While we wish a C&S car could have been used, it's delightful to know that the display was built on the original South Park right-of-way.  The D&RGW car (no. 1499) was purchased in the '70's by Ashby, seeing use first on the old Colorado Central Narrow Gauge tourist route in Central City and then on the Georgetown Loop.  It later traveled with Ashby to the Royal Gorge route. 

The town also has a standard gauge caboose, CB&Q 14359, on display.  I don't have any knowledge of how or why it got there, or whether it is a private or public display.

Steve Schweighofer graciously provided the news article included in this post.

Joan McDonald photo, December 30, 2017

References:
"Platte Canyon: Pine Grove received railroad gondola car." The Flume. 5 January 2018.
Midyette, Jason.  "A gondola for Pine."  The Bogies and the Loop. January 2018.