Part 1: Introduction to the Circle                 Railway Pages Index

My photo essay on the Colorado Narrow Gauge Circle is based on two trips, the first in 1994, the second in 2004. Both were post-convention trips sponsored by the Denver Garden Railway Society. The 1994 trip was the better of the two – the weather cooperated, the tour was more leisurely, the guide knew the route intimately, and got us to places that we never saw on the 2004 tour.

The late Richard Schaffer, who also guided the European Narrow Gauge Circle Tour I took in 1995, provided excellent commentary on the railways, routes, sites, and sights along the 1994 tour. There was little of this on the 2004 tour – our guide got us there on time to board the trains, but that was it.

The only Colorado tourist train I missed was the Cripple Creek and Victor Railroad behind Pike’s Peak. It is a 2 foot gauge steam line reminiscent of the Gilpin Gold Tram. It is a 4 mile, 45 minute round trip on former Midland Terminal (standard gauge) right of way. – not much of a ride but the engines are unique. http://www.cripplecreekrailroad.com/

You can follow the tour in order or choose your own route on the links below.

Part One: Introduction
Part Two: Colorado Railroad Museum
Part Three: Cañon City – Royal Gorge
Part Four: Alamosa – Chama
Part Five: Chama – Antonito
Part Six: Durango – Silverton
Part Seven: Durango – Dolores – Lizard Head – Telluride – Ridgway
Part Eight: Cimarron – Black Canyon – Gunnison
Part Nine: Leadville – Climax
Part Ten: Breckenridge – South Park City – Fairplay
Part Eleven: Silver Plume – Georgetown Loop
Part Twelve: Manitou Springs– Pike’s Peak – Garden of the Gods

Return to Railway Pages Index
Return to Spectrum Home Page

Continue to Part Two

General Interest Websites
http://www.narrowgauge.org/
http://narrowgauge.net/index.htm
http://users3.ev1.net/~ddye/
http://www.drgw.org/
http://users.ev1.net/~jastacey/
http://www.ghostdepot.com/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

E. R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng. is a Consulting Petrophysicist and a Professional Engineer with over 40 years of experience in reservoir description, petrophysical analysis, and management. He has been a specialist in the integration of well log analysis and petrophysics with geophysical, geological, engineering, and simulation phases of oil and gas exploration and exploitation, with widespread Canadian and Overseas experience.

"I am a life-long model railroader and have modeled in O27, HO, HOn3, and N Scales. Failing eyesight brought me to G Scale. My father started me in model railroading as a tiny tot in 1944 - he scratch built his first locomotive in 1940, the year I was born, and I still have this loco on my mantle-piece. I am a Life Member (#517) of NMRA, a member of the Rocky Mountain Garden Railroaders (Calgary, Alberta), and have toured a lot of model railways, railway shows, and garden railways. I have never seen a model railway I didn’t like. An extensive library of railway magazines and books, covering topics that appeal to me, sit behind my office desk, ready to be put to use at a moments notice. I hope these pages can communicate to you some of my accumulated experience, my successes and failures, and my love of model railways."