Colorado! You can never have enough

Next year marks the 30^th anniversary of my first trip to Colorado, land of snowy peaks, narrow gauge Mikados giving it their all, streamliners in deep canyons, and burly freights grinding out tonnage. On that May 1987 trip, I literally hesitated to get onto the plane going home to Charlotte after a week with friends exploring the Moffat Tunnel route, Joint Line, Georgetown Loop, and Manitou & Pikes Peak cog railway. It was a great introduction, and to this day I’m still enamored with Colorado, its spectacular geography, great people, and fascinating railroads. The more I’ve seen, the more I want to see more.

This week is the last of several months of a labor of love for the Trains staff, contributors, and me on our 100 percent brand new Colorado Railroads special magazine and companion DVD. We put in extra effort to cover the whole spectrum of railroads in the Centennial State, from main lines and preservation railways to the rebirth at Denver Union Station, the expansion of the light rail and commuter system, and North America’s incubator of railroad technology near Pueblo. Contributor Mark Hemphill wrote a compelling essay about Colorado, and Colorado railroad historian Charles Albi completed a comprehensive timeline to go with it. I’m especially impressed with Bill Metzger’s 1939 and today maps as well as the tremendous maps with every story. I personally couldn’t help myself and penned stories on the Rio Grande Scenic, Georgetown Loop, and the amazing Cumbres & Toltec Scenic. We had so many great stories and photos that we bumped the page count up to 104! You’ll see it next month when it is available from us https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/products/special-issues/tr8base__Colorado-Railroads and from your favorite outlet.

We’ll be visiting Colorado for the world premier of the hour-long Colorado Railroads DVD on May 6 on the eve of this year’s first steam trip from Durango to Silverton. We’ll have details soon, but the venue will be the Strater Hotel in downtown Durango. We’ll also be on hand that day at the Durango & Silverton to talk about this project. The following Tuesday, May 10, we’ll be in the Denver area to show the DVD for the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club. And on June 11, we’ll have a DVD showing and signing at the Colorado Railroad Museum.

If you’re ready for a Colorado trip, we’ve got that too. This is the second year we’re working with Special Interest tours to host week-long tours of Colorado and its spectacular scenic railways and museums. For information, see http://trn.trains.com/magazine/trips/2016/02/colorado

See you in the Rockies!