Last week a fellow 4449 Crew Member and I spent a few days visiting the Georgetown Loop Railroad. We wanted to see this operation one last time before the current operator left. As with many people, we felt all Spring and early Summer that the State would wake up to the reality that a new operator could not be found to offer the same service as the Ashbeys do now. Unfortunately the politics of the CHS (operated by the State of Colorado) would not waiver.
Here is what we saw during our visit: One of the very best and safest run passenger operations we have seen in our years of railroading. My friend and I have seen and operated on many freight and passenger railroads. What we witnessed at the Loop was simply a professional, well-run, friendly group of employees that took perfect care of the equipment and followed all operating rules to the letter.
The trains were sold out on may of the runs we were on. While in the cab with the crews we saw 3 different sets of engine crews during our visits. All kept a steady watch for any sign of trouble and were quite skilled in thier operation of #40 as she climbed and descended the 4% grades and curves of the Loop.
Hanging around the depot and the town of Georgetown and Silver Plume were CHS banners proclaiming "The Train Will Run in 2005!". Pictured on these banners was a drawing of a steam loco that resembled Thomas The Tank Engine. These banners were clearly erected to do "damage control" by the CHS. The business owners in town have had several town meetings in the last few weeks where the CHS has tried to convince them that "They have a train". Unfortunately, that is NOT true.
Nearly all the rolling stock at the Loop belongs to the current operator and will be moved out, starting this week.
The CHS has NO operating locomotive. NONE! They hastily moved C&S #9 to the Ulrich Locomotive Works in Strasburg, CO a few months ago. CHS had intended the #9 to go to Chama for inspection and rebuilding but was turned away in route when CHS 'discovered' there was asbestos under the jacket. Ulrich agreed to remove the asbestos and do an ultrasound test. #9 would take HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars and YEARS to get operating. Even then she would be too small to pull the trains of the Loop. While we were there, #40 pulled 9 car trains that were completely full.
The CHS now realizes the waste of time and money they have made with #9. CHS is now trying to trade #9 to the town of Breckenridge for the 2-8-0 #111 on display there. This engine was a South American Baldwin similar to #40. She was bought by Breckenridge out of the auction in Kansas a couple years ago. She was cosmetically restored by Ulrich a year ago. This engine too would require hundreds of thousands of dollars and YEARS to re-build.
On thursday we watched CNW #30 moved out of the park in Boulder by the CHS. In thier haste to find a steam locomotive CHS convinced the Parks Department of Boulder to give them #30 for use on the Loop. This angered many of the townsfolk of Boulder since the engine had been in the park for the past 52 years and was well cared for.
I have a soft spot in my heart for #30 since my great-grandfather was killed on this engine in the April 18, 1901 wreck on Grassy Mtn in the CNW.
Again, #30 (RGS #74) will take hundreds of thousands of dollars and YEARS to rebuild.
While on the #40 one day we recived a call from a friend on the SVRY that just had been contacted by the CHS. The SVRY was approached about leasing to the CHS the old 70-ton Porter DIESEL that the group had bought at the Kansas auction. Thie engine is not operable and would take PLENTY of work to make it run.
The CHS has no train. They have NO passenger cars. When the Ashbeys leave this fall, they will clean the shop down to the bare walls and floors since ALL the machine equipment and tools are theirs. The spare ties and rails and track equipment will all go.
What the CHS has is a handful of old boxcars, a caboose and the track in place. Lets talk about the track. The track maintenance we saw at the Loop was simply the best we had seen on any operating tourist railroad we had ever been on. There were NO broken ties or even ties that looked worn. The ballast was neatly applied and in perfect condition. We saw absolutely no evidence of track movement even on the sharp curves and steep grades of this amazing railroad.
In summary, what the CHS is doing to this operator and the towns that rely on the railroad, borders on criminal. This years the railroad will carry over 140,000 people. That is a huge impact on a town like Georgetown whose population itself is only 1,000 people.
The current operator has 32 years experiance running this line with NO accidents. That is impressive. The State should have considered that finding a comperable operator with this experiance and safety record is even harder then finding historice narrow guage railroad equipment that is capable of handling the demands of the traffic on the Loop.
If any of you have the cahnce to ride the Loop, do it now. The Shays #12 and #14 and Baldwins #40 and #44 will all be sent to the CRRM at Golden in the next few weeks. The cars will go a number of museums in the area for storage.
The public is the big looser here. Many thanks to the crews we met at the Loop for warm hospitality during these trying times. We wish you the best and thank you for 32 years of spectacular mountain railroading at it's finest!
Martin E. Hansen
