Georgetown Loop Railroad: A piece of narrow gauge history.

Michael Byle
1 day ago
3 min read

During my vacation in Colorado, I had the opportunity to visit and ride on the Georgetown Loop Railroad. This is an excursion railroad that runs between Georgetown, CO and Silver Plume, CO. The distance between the two towns is just 2 miles, but the route by rail is 4.5 miles, due to the 640 foot elevation difference between the Devils Gate Depot and Silver Plume Depot. The line was originally built for transporting silver ore by the Colorado Southern Railroad in the 1870’s. The loop was built at Georgetown in 1884 using a high viaduct to cross over the lower line and the Clear Creek valley.

The original Colorado Central was the brainchild of Jay Gould the financier who controlled the Union Pacific Railroad. He wanted to provide a means of transport for freight, ore, and passengers into the Rocky Mountains through Idaho Springs and Georgetown. The loop was devised by Jacob Blickensderfer, UP Chief Engineer, in 1879 as a means to reduce the grade to something manageable by conventional locomotives. Construction was completed in 1884 and first trains arrived in Silver Plume. The line provided transport for ore from many major silver strikes and made tourism practical in the Rockies.

The Georgetown Loop Railroad is located in Georgetown Colorado

The line operated for many years but finally closed in 1938 and the loop was dismantled. The reconstruction of the line began in the 1970’s, with tourist trains beginning to run on the Silver Plume portion in 1975. The new Devil’s Gate high bridge was completed in 1984 to celebrate the centennial of its original construction.

The Devils Gate High Bridge was rebuilt to original dimensions (photo by Andrew Byle*.

The train now operates on 3-foot gauge track from Georgetown to Silver Plume with a stop at the Lebanon Mine. The train I rode was pulled by a restored and re-gauged Navy 44-tonner. The also have two 2-8-0 Baldwin “Consolidation” steam locomotives, which operate from time to time. The cars for the tourist train are mostly modified from original White Pass and Yukon Railroad cars, but they also have a number of freight cars on display from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. The roundtrip ride is about an hour and includes a well informed narrative of the route by the conductor and brakeman. The scenery is stunning and wildlife can surprise you. The train had to stop for a bighorn sheep to cross the tracks on our return run.

Bighorn Sheep in Right-of-Way (Photo by Andrew Byle*)

We took advantage of the extended mine tour, which was fascinating. Beginning with selecting hard hats from open mine cars, hiking deep into the mountain, experienced and knowledgeable guides give you a real idea of what it was like for the miners back in the 19^th century. Highlights include dragons blood, cave pearls, and the “necessary box” and many other fine features of mining that bring the experience to life. It is one of the places where you really want to go toward the light at the end of the tour.

Lebanon Mine Addit (it even has railroad tracks)

All-in-all, the Georgetown Loop Railroad is an excellent experience and should be on your list of historical excursion railroads. The Georgetown Loop is a unique and amazing example of human ingenuity and narrow gauge railroading. I highly recommend it. You can check them out at www.georgetownlooprr.com .

Coming soon: The Moffat Railroad