1966 C&S News - Ski Patrol saves Silver Plume depot from bulldozers in the nick of time

A wealth of railfan history exists in the archives of the Rocky Mountain Rail Report, the newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club started in 1939.  Here is some miscellaneous South Park Line/C&S-related news from the 1966 editions. 

1966 

November

SKI GROUP MOVES-TO SAVE ORIGINAL SILVER PLUME  STATION; POSSIBLE USE ON GEORGETOWN LOOP PROJECT 

A group of Loveland Basin Ski Patrol members, led by a Lakewood, Colo. man, have launched a move to acquire the old Silver Plume railroad depot for use as a clubhouse. The patrol has the backing of the State Highway Department, which will soon push Interstate 70 practically right through the station, and the State Historical Society, which has plans on the drawing board to reconstruct the famed Georgetown Loop. 

Silver Plume depot and caboose 1006, 1941-Otto Perry photo

Interstate 70 has already been relocated to another part of the mountain between Georgetown and Silver Plume to preserve the original railroad right-of- way, as a result of the Historical Society plan. Highway department officials have several times extended the deadline for moving the historic building, but the final, final deadline is rapidly approaching. James G. Rogers, chairman of the board of the State Historical Society, has urged Silver Plume mayor George Rowe to preserve the structure. 

The basic plan now is to sell the station to the Ski Patrol who will then move it to a new site within the town, refurbish it completely and use it as a headquarters building. The state group would then buy it from the patrol when plans for rebuilding the Loop have been finalized. Agreement seems to have been reached among the various groups and it now appears that the old station will be saved. The building has been inspected and declared in "good shape," 

December

SILVER PLUME COUNCIL VOTES TO SAVE OLD RAILROAD DEPOT; BUILDING MOVED TO NEW SITE ON NOVEMBER 26 

2018

The Silver Plume town council has voted to give control of the town's historic old railroad depot to the Loveland Basin Ski Patrol for use as a headquarters building (see story, page one, November, 1966 "Rail Report").  The group hired a professional house mover and the old building's move to its new location near Silver Plume's school was started on Saturday, November 26. A hard-working crew of Club members turned out on what proved to be a frosty day in the hills to lend what assistance and muscle power they could in order to accomplish the move in as short a time as possible. 

Construction workers have been dozing, grading and clearing on all four sides of the old depot in recent weeks and for a while it appeared that the building faced demolition. However, according to patrol captain Ed Schroeder, the town council has given his group nine months in which to work out a contract covering use and preservation of the depot. 

2018

But, as Mr. Schroeder pointed out, snow will create additional problems for the patrol for it means that its members must postpone restoration work on the station and take to the slopes. A few patrolmen will do what they can on weekends during the winter but the work will go far more slowly than it should. 

Perhaps we could turn out more work parties to help the patrol in the job of preserving this valuable structure. It needs a new roof and lots of inside work. We would be delighted to have Club members participate and any who would like to work a few weekends over the next several months are invited to contact Mr. Schroeder at 10240 W. Eighth Place, Lakewood, Colorado. 

2018