Marvelous Machinery: Steam-powered Giants
Steam engines were the foundation of the Industrial Revolution. For nearly 120 years, steam-powered locomotives were the backbone of commerce, hauling passengers as well as cargo throughout the United States. Today, three of these “iron horses” are preserved, maintained, and operated in Georgetown and Silver Plume, Colorado. Our engines do not burn coal for fuel but rather on recycled waste oil and corn oil. History Colorado and Historic Rail Adventures are pleased to share these train treasures with the public and welcomes your support as a rider and in their preservation efforts.
THE HISTORIC TOWN OF GEORGETOWN
About Georgetown…
Beginning in the late 1880s, the community and the Georgetown Loop become a tourist center for those who ventured West to encounter the wild ruggedness and romance. Tourism in the West developed around railroad excursions. With seven trains a day running out of Denver at the height of its popularity, the Georgetown Loop was Colorado’s scenic “must see.” Guidebooks, pamphlets and postcards helped send the images of the steep canyons and mountain peaks accessible by train across the nation.
The former silver mining camp along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains was established in 1859 during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush. The federally designated Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic District comprises Georgetown, the neighboring Town of Silver Plume, and the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park between the two towns. The town population was 1,088 at the U.S. Census 2000.
The town sits at an elevation of 8,530 feet (2,600 m), nestled in the mountains near the upper end of the valley of Clear Creek in the mountains west of Denver along Interstate 70. Although a small town today, the town was a historic center of the mining industry in Colorado during the late 19th century, earning the nickname the ‘Silver Queen of Colorado’. It has evolved into a lively historical summer tourist center today with many preserved structures from the heyday of the Colorado Silver Boom.
*From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Learn more about Georgetown shops and restaurants at http://www.georgetown-colorado.org
DEVIL’S GATE DEPOT LOCATION
646 Loop Drive
Georgetown, CO 80444
DIRECTIONS TO DEVIL’S GATE:
From I-70, take Exit 228 to Georgetown.
If you are on I-70 West, take a left off the ramp. If you are on I-70 East, take a right off the ramp. From here, take the first right at the roundabout. This is Argentine Street. Follow Argentine until you reach a fork in the road. Stay to the right and the road will end at the Devil’s Gate Depot.
SILVER PLUME DEPOT LOCATION
825 Railroad Avenue
Silver Plume, CO 80476
DIRECTIONS TO SILVER PLUME DEPOT:
From I-70, take exit 226.
If you are on I-70 West, take a left at the stop sign and go under the interstate. If you are coming from I-70 East, take a right at the off ramp. The Silver Plume Depot will be on your left just past I-70.
The Silver Plume station is closed from October 09 through the end of the 2020 season.