Recieved this by E-mail today from CHS.
DENVER – Railstar Corporation of Cape Vincent, N.Y. has been awarded the management agreement to operate the Colorado Historical Society’s Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park beginning in 2005.
The Colorado Historical Society has been in negotiations with Railstar Corporation since August. The final terms of the management agreement were reached and approved in accordance with Colorado procurement rules and procedures. Ron Trottier, vice president and general manager of Railstar Corporation, and the Colorado Historical Society signed a 10-year management agreement with a 10-year option to renew.
The Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park’s 2004 season ends Oct. 3 and reservations for 2005 are currently being accepted. The Colorado Historical Society has overseen the park since 1959. In 1975, it reconstructed and opened the narrow-gauge line that connects Georgetown, Colo. and Silver Plume, Colo.
“The Colorado Historical Society is committed to preserving the visitor’s historical experience at the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park,” said Georgianna Contiguglia, Colorado Historical Society president and CEO. “Railstar has extensive railroading and business expertise, as well as background in historic preservation, interpretation and education. Railstar is dedicated to serving the community, which will benefit both the visitor and the people of Georgetown, Silver Plume and Idaho Springs.”
“We are excited to begin working with the Colorado Historical Society and the communities,” Trottier said. “Railstar’s resolve to the visitors to this historic park is to continue to provide a safe and fun experience for families and train enthusiasts.”
The management agreement with the current vendor, Georgetown Loop Railroad, Inc., expires at the end of 2004. Railstar Corporation will assume responsibility of the site after the new year.
Railstar Corporation currently operates the sixth-oldest continually operating railroad in the United States, the historic Belfast and Moosehead Railroad in Unity, Maine, and owns and operates the Erie Canal Village historic park and museum in Rome, N.Y., which includes a 2-foot narrow gauge steam railway.
Railstar Corporation is currently accepting letters of employment interest from qualified individuals for a variety positions at the Georgetown site. Letters and inquiries can be sent to Ron Trottier, Railstar Corporation, P.O. Box 285, Cape Vincent, NY 13618. For more information, contact (315) 654-2300.
The Colorado Historical Society is a statewide organization with 12 museums and historic sites across the state, including the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park. The Park includes nearly 1,000 acres, 12 buildings and bridges and 4.5 miles of track. Reservations for train rides and tours of the Lebanon Silver Mine for the 2005 season can be made by calling (303) 866-3682.
Celebrating its 125th anniversary, the Colorado Historical Society was established in 1879 and is headquartered at the Colorado History Museum in Denver. The Society is dedicated to collecting, preserving and educating people about the history of Colorado and the American West. This educational institution also operates the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, as well as the Stephen H. Hart Research Library, and administers the State Historical Fund, a preservation-based grants program funded by state tax revenues from limited-stakes gaming. For more information call (303) 866-3682 or visit
www.coloradohistory.org.
