C&S 60 in the news

CBS Denver has a story on C&S 60 and the C&S Ry. Society's plans for her.  Check it out below:

Here is the article on CBS Denver's website that accompanied the video.

Group Wants To Get 131-Year-Old Locomotive Up And Running

By Dominic Garcia

IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – A group of train enthusiasts is looking to restore a 131-year-old train that has deep Colorado ties. The old steam Locomotive 60 was built in 1886 and ran on the Colorado & Southern Railway. It traveled all over the state but spent most of its life traveling between Denver and Leadville.

In 1941 it was donated to Clear Creek County and has sat near the Idaho Springs city council building ever since.

“She’s seen a lot of Colorado,” said Benjamin Fearn, Vice President of the Colorado & Southern Railway Society.

His group wants to restore the locomotive to full working condition and is currently working to secure grants for the project that will cost between $300,000 and $500,000.

We believe the highest state of preservation is operational condition because it represents the artifact in its proper context…she is a relic, and she’s very important the way she sits. But you don’t get a sense of what it really is because it’s not alive,” he told CBS4’s Dominic Garcia.

When it was in its prime, Locomotive 60 traveled to places like South Park and Boreas Pass, and it was even part of the snowplow trials at Hancock in 1890.

“She probably did, from the records we’ve seen, on average about 50,000 miles a year. She’s seen a lot of places she’s seen a lot of Colorado,” said Fearn.

His group needs to first evaluate the locomotive’s boiler. The next step will be asbestos removal and after that the rest is mostly cosmetic. They not only want to restore the locomotive, but the passenger car on display behind it built in 1986. It’s lined with spacious, cushy seats and it even has two bathrooms on board.

“For those of us who do this there’s no greater thrill than seeing one of these things come to life and do what they were meant to do,” Fearn said.

The group needs to now renew their contract with Idaho Springs and then they can get the plans in motion to have the locomotive moved to a site for restoration. It will then be returned to Idaho Springs.

Dominic Garcia anchors CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and reports for CBS4 News at 10 p.m. Connect with the Denver native on Twitter @cbs4dom & on Facebook.

Great 1968 shots of the Central City Narrow Gauge

The construction, operation, abandonment, reconstruction, "new" operation, and reabandonment of the tourist railroads in Central City has always fascinated me.  Where else can you find a tourist route that was a rebuilding that was rebuilt and abandoned twice?

I happened across a group of photos I had not seen before of the construction and first year of operation of the Central City Narrow Gauge at the following site.  This was the RR operated by Lindsey Ashby who later moved to run the Georgetown Loop railroad until the early 2000s.

Because the photos are for sale I didn't want to post them here, but they are great to look at.  Several photos show the grade being prepared in 1968 in Central City and track being laid.  There are wonderful shots of engine 44 in operation as well.

The site also includes a 1988 photo of a DSP&P bridge abutment north of Nathrop.

Enjoy!

Photo of No. 44 at the Georgetown Loop RR.  No. 44, originally from the International Railways of Central America, formerly ran on the Central City Narrow Gauge.  Photo from steamlocomotive.com

Upcoming article about C&S 1006

Just as a bit of news, I've been working hard on an article about the post-abandonment life of C&S 1006.  I've been truly thankful for the help of several individuals including Steve Schweighofer who did a lot of work tracing the bobber's various moves.  I've also had the privilege of corresponding with several people and groups that have been involved in restoration work over the years such as Dale Buxton and Jim Pallow who worked alongside Tom Young in the 1980s and the C&S Ry. Society who are at work on the caboose at present.  This article should tie together all the posts from this past March on the blog and more recent research as well.

Hopefully, if I can finish the work up this week, the article should first appear in the next The Bogies and the Loop. 

Could No. 60 be steamed up in the future? The C&S Ry. Society seems to have the green light to find out!

Check out this exciting news from the Clear Creek Courant:

Group wants to restores historic locomotive in Idaho Springs

By Ian Neligh

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 11:27 am

A nonprofit wants to restore the 130-year-old locomotive in Idaho Springs to full working order — at no cost to the city.

The Colorado & Southern Railway Society, a volunteer nonprofit organization that works to restore antique trains, met with the Idaho Springs City Council on Aug. 28.

Vice president Benjamin Fearn and president Justin Kardas told the council the group wants to restore Locomotive 60, which sits behind city hall. The group is restoring a caboose from Silver Plume and is expected to finish by next summer.

“Once that’s done, we want to turn our full attention to the 60...,” Fearn said.

Mayor Mike Hillman said the city would look at the contract with the Colorado & Southern Railway Society at a future council meeting.

Fearn said the first step is to have someone check the locomotive’s boiler, and if it is in good condition, the next step is to have a contractor remove any asbestos.

“Because the reality is all steam locomotives have asbestos,” Fearn said.

Fearn added it would likely cost about $34,000 to do the asbestos removal, and the work would be easier and perhaps more affordable if the train could be moved to another facility. The organization’s goal is to have the engine be operational.

“Where the town goes with that is up to the town,” Fearn said. “We’re happy to take her to the point where she’s steamed up right there in the park and has nowhere to go.”

Council member Jason Siegel, who liked the idea, asked where the money would come from for the restoration.

“We’re going to be looking into getting grants ... (but) this is something we’re doing because we have an interest in it, (and) we want to see the locomotive restored,” Fearn said. “We don’t obligate the town to put anything into it, however the town is welcome to contribute if they so choose.”

Money also comes from private donations, he said.

“There is a larger community of railroad enthusiasts that look at projects like this, who want to see locomotives like this restored,” Fearn said. “This is becoming a very popular thing, and more towns are doing it.”

Fearn said the group restores locomotives because of their historical context.

“There are only four Colorado and Southern Railway (locomotives) that still exist, and one of them is here,” he added.

Council member Tracy Stokes asked how the city could show the train off to the public and make the best use of the associated tourism.

Fearn said his organization would pay to get the train to be showcased part of the year at other railways around that state, ultimately bringing attention to Idaho Springs.

“We as a group would act as custodians for the town, and we would take it there,” Fearn said, adding the train would be returned to the city for the rest of the year. He added even if the city wasn’t willing to let the train go on tour, he wants to see the locomotive restored “no matter what.”

“You guys just want to rebuild an old cool piece of history. I get it,” council member Kate Collier said.

Steam comes to Como! August 19th, 2017

Steam on the Como turntable!

Steam in Como!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the first time since 1938, a steam locomotive has been fired up!  Can you believe this is actually here????!!!!!

Photos from this post on the Como Depot Facebook Page