Royal Gorge Route Past and Present
Pueblo station in the early 1930's. You can see a 1931 Ford express bed truck at the front door. Also it looks like a 1929 Ford on the extreme right of the picture.
July 2009 the Station looks very close with few external changes.
D&RGW L -131 series locomotive on the table at Pueblo Roundhouse 1930's
July of 2009 this is all that is left of the 49 stall roundhouse in Pueblo
This is a view of Pueblo in 1921 after the flood. The 49 Stall roundhouse built in 1906 is on the upper right. Pueblo station is near the center of the photo.
CF&I Steel Works Pueblo, Colorado
CF&I Steel mill in Pueblo Colorado stopped production in the late 1980s and as of 6/2009 most of it has been demolished.
Florence Colorado
34 miles from Pueblo on the Royal Gorge Route.
DRGW main line at Florence CO. early 1900's. In the picture you can see the oil well derricks rising above the buildings in town.
Florence oil well.
F&CC and DRGW station in Florence CO. 7/2009
7/2006 You can still see the buildings in the picture below.
Florence yard in front of the D&RG station in 1926. Stacks of the oil refinery are visible on the right side of the picture.
Florence Oil Depot was located just east of town. Oil in Colorado was discovered at Florence in 1862. More significant finds were made during the 1880's. Continental Oil, a marketing company, bought control of United Oil, of Florence, Colorado in 1888, which gained control of the region's oil for their parent, Standard Oil.
Colorado Rails Trip July 7th - 12th 2009
My philosophy of model railroading is: it's all about the scenery the rails travel thru that make a railroad memorable. I can only hope I live up to this. Thats why field trips become a valuable asset.
Georgetown Colorado is where the Georgetown Loop railroad is located. This is the C&S Clear Creek line out of Denver. This past summer they have been running their Baldwin switcher on the loop. They said that the steam engine should be back in 2010. Below is the Devils Gate Viaduct and the steamer being worked on.
Looking back towards Georgetown from Silver Plume you can see the Devils Gate Viaduct.
Silver Plume Colorado
Be sure to visit the Historical society in the old school house. This is where you can see a class C fire pumper from the 1880's
Leadville Colorado
Cripple Creek Colorado
Colorado Midland RR depot
Victor Colorado down Phantom Canyon on the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad
I highly recommend this trip down or up the canon. Pack a lunch and stop along the way.
Canon City - Royal Gorge Railroad
Santa Fe Railroad depot
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway
This was a long hot dirty day. I was full of cinders, sunburned and exhausted by the end of the 8 hour ordeal from Chama New Mexico to Antontio Colorado. My legs were tired from standing in the gondola and and was windblown. Let me tell ya, I would do it again in a heart beat!
