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Saturday 5 June
We’ll spend the morning chasing the eastbound C&T train up the steep bit from Chama to Cumbres Pass – the grade is 1 in 25 most of the way, and the loco REALLY works hard! We will then head west following the trackbed of the old Denver & Rio Grand Western narrow gauge main line through beautiful countryside past the Navajo reservoir to Durango, our base for the night.
Included: Minibus travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Sunday 6 June
Our day out on the most famous of Colorado’s narrow gauge lines, the Durango and Silverton. We’ll leave Durango at 09:00 and traverse the ‘High Line’ way above Animas River before following the river valley all the way up to Silverton. There’s time to explore this old mining town (maybe have a beer in one of the saloons) before returning to Durango.
Included: Minibus travel, train travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Monday 7 June
For those who wish, we’ll chase the two morning trains up to Hermosa for some great photos. Then we will leave Durango and follow the course of the fabled Rio Grande Southern through Dolores (where we can stop to examine one of the ‘Galloping Geese’ railbuses that were the trademark of this remote line and if we’re lucky, we may be able to have a very short ride up the 100 yards of track outside the restored station museum), Ophir, Rico and Lizard Head Pass. We’ll continue via Montrose and visit the steep Black Canyon of the Gunnison, a National Park, before spending the night in Gunnison, a real Western town.
Included: Minibus travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Tuesday 8 June
Railway interest and scenery. We’ll drive over the old Marshall Pass, once on the Rio Grande’s narrow gauge main line to Gunnison. Marshall Pass summit used to be in a complete wooden snowshed, remains of which still exist. We expect the Aspen trees to be at their best – golden leaves shimmering in any light breeze. After passing through Poncha Springs, we follow the course of the old Tennessee Pass railroad to Leadville, Colorado’s best preserved mining town. If we make it in time, we can ride the Leadville Colorado & Southern up to Climax – with the Aspen trees expected to be in season, it’s an experience to remember. Dinner is at Quincy’s where the only item on the menu is filet mignon of excellent quality!
Included: Minibus travel, train travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Wednesday 9 June
We continue down to the Georgetown Loop, where we’ll take a train trip over the spindly Devils Gate Bridge behind steam. We then continue, pausing for a plinthed loco at Idaho Springs, via the northern outskirts of Denver, and head north into Wyoming to Cheyenne, the Union Pacific’s base for its steam locomotives. There should also be time to look at the city of Cheyenne. In one of Cheyenne’s parks, there is a plinthed “Big Boy”, one of the largest steam locomotives ever built.
Included: Minibus travel, train travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Thursday 10 June
We’ll take an early morning trip the five miles east to the top of Archer Hill, a great place to photograph eastbounds climbing round an enormous S-bend. We can then head west to see the best spots on Sherman Hill – Borie Oilfield, Otto Road, Granite, Buford, Tie Siding and Dale Creek. We should also have permission to visit the historic site of Union Pacific’s first crossing of Dale Creek (the main line was routed away from here in 1899) – the stone supports for the original high wooden trestles are still in good condition. Back in Cheyenne, the recommended dining spot is the Old Station Depot. The station is well worth visiting in its own right, and we will arrange a tour – for dinner, there is a bistro, where (weather permitting) it is possible to eat on the old platform one, within a few feet of transcontinental freight trains pausing for a crew change.
Included: Minibus travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Friday 11 June
We’ll visit the Union Pacific Steam Centre at Cheyenne, where we hope that both the Challenger 2-8-8-2 Mallet 3985 and the Northern 4-8-4 number 844 (together with many other vintage steam and diesel locomotives) are housed. In the afternoon, we drive back down the Interstate to Denver. We can also visit Golden’s biggest industry, Coor’s brewery, which has its own rail system, including six locomotives, and provides a comprehensive range of beers to try in its sampling room. There should also be time to visit Caboose Hobbies, a railway model shop about the size of an average supermarket. As an alternative, there is conventional shopping in Denver’s city centre 16th Street Mall.
Included: Minibus travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Saturday 12 June
After breakfast and packing for departure, we’ll call at the Forney Transport Museum, which houses several steam locomotives (plus cars and many other items) on our way out to the airport for an afternoon flight back to Chicago, where we change for our onward flights to….
Included: Minibus travel, flight, meal on flight. Not included: other meals, incidentals.
Sunday 13 June
…Heathrow or Manchester
Included: flight, meals on flight. Not included: onward travel from Heathrow, other meals, incidentals.
We will endeavour to provide airport transfers in Denver for those arranging their own flights, but it may be necessary to take a cab.
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