Central City and Idaho Springs Then-And-Now

I found this video of Central City and Idaho Springs enjoyable.  While there is only one then-and-now of a railroad shot, it is worth a look.  It shows what appears to be the scrap train pulled by No. 70 along Clear Creek.  The slideshow then shows the same spot today.  This can be found at 5:49.

The Resurrection of Gondola 4319

Happy Easter!  Happy Resurrection Day!  My family and I are today celebrating that when Jesus came back to life He proved that nothing could keep us separated from God anymore, not even death.

In honor of the Great resurrection, I made a video to celebrate a tiny resurrection, a C&S resurrection that had its beginnings almost one year ago: the return of C&S gondola 4319 to Como, Colorado.  For too many years, it sat alone and with little care in a Central City park, wasting away in the elements.  Today, the South Park Rail Society has the following plans for her:
We are very pleased to report that we have been awarded a grant from the Tom E. Dailey Foundation. This grant will go towards the complete restoration of Colorado & Southern gondola #4319. In 2018 the South Park Rail Society raised the funds needed to move the #4310 from Central City to Como, Colorado. The railcar is now scheduled to begin a full restoration inside the Como roundhouse. 

Enjoy this short film of photos and video of the only remaining C&S narrow gauge gondola from 1941 to its new start in 2018.

Ride the C&S over Boreas Pass-part 1

This past July my family and I drove over Boreas Pass for the first time.  Using a GoPro mounted inside our Honda minivan, I tried to record the whole trip from Como to Breckenridge.

This is part 1, covering the distance from Como to Rocky/Windy Point.  Along the way, I tried to label points of interest relating to the railroad.  I also use screen shots from Google Earth to help the viewer tell where they are on the pass.

Hood-View ride along the Leadville-Climax run

I enjoyed the below video because it shows the Leadville, Colorado & Southern, route of the former South Park narrow gauge route, from the hood of one of the LC&S diesels.  The hood view begins at about 2:30.

The C&S Leadville Freight Depot finds a new life

The Leadville Freight Depot has been standing along the C&S (and now LC&S) tracks for a long time.  In fact, she was close to collapsing.  Recently a company calling itself simply "Freight" restored the entire structure and repurposed it for use as an event space.  According to their website, the former freight house will now be a place for Dances, Film screenings, Fashion Shows, Community Fundraisers, TED-like Talks, Weddings, Anniversaries, Meetings, Corporate Events, Poetry Readings, and Sunset Gazing.


The site lists the following background:
Over its more than century-long history the freight depot had served only two owners: the railroad, and since the 1920s, Smith Lumber Company. It had even been involved in a couple colorful incidents of historical intrigue involving conspiracy and murder on the railroad. Originally, the freight depot was the Front Range’s gateway to Leadville, bringing supplies to its residents and shipping out tons of silver ore from its booming mines.  During the second half of the 20th Century, Smith Lumber used the building to store lumber that arrived by train until 1967, when the railroad closed and by truck until Smith’s closure in 2014.  

I don't know exactly what is being referred to when they say the railroad closed in 1967.  The C&S/CB&Q/BN operated the line until 1981 to my knowledge.

Below is a great video showing the process of restoration and the new owners' vision for the freight depot's future.


The video below is nothing outstanding.  It's just someone riding the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad from the Leadville depot for a few minutes.  I posted it because it shows a nice trackside view of the old C&S freight depot beginning at about :17 before the recent renovation.

Alpine Tunnel 4x4 video

There are a lot of 4x4 videos out there of folks driving around the area surrounding the Alpine Tunnel.  The one below, though, is unique in that it includes a walk along the eastern approach from Hancock to the east portal and includes some low flying drone footage along the right-of-way as well as some time lapses.



For a full video of the route from Hancock to East Portal, see my GoPro film of the entire length here.

C&S 60 "Steaming" in Idaho Springs in 2018

Below is a video I put together of video footage and photos from my family's July 2018 visit to Idaho Springs, Colorado.  At the beginning of the video, through the use of fun green screen work and sound effects, I played around making No. 60 look like she is steamed up and about to leave for Georgetown and Silver Plume.  This was my first time giving this a shot, so please forgive my amateur-ishness!  :)

The story of No. 60 and how she was saved can be found on this post.



Below are two of the interpretive signs near the train (and a pic of my family!).  I somehow managed to forget to take a photo of the sign related to coach 70.