Central City Narrow Gauge Railroad

I should have posted this a few months ago. It was 40 years ago in August 1968, that the Colorado Central Narrow Gauge Railroad first started operations as a tourist line in Central City. This photo shows #44 arriving in town. Number 40 arrived in 1972 and the shays the following year. Lindsey and Dave had 3 converted hige side gons from the Black Hills Central Railroad. These gons had been turned into "passenger cars" for the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair. Lindsey had rode in these cars as a young boy. Anyway....in 1968, the train only ran for a few weeks. 1969 was the first full season. I started for the Ashbys in 1972 at Central City. I later ended up in Silver Plume when we started that operation. Lindsey ran both railroads until 1981 when all the Central City equipment was moved to Plume. There are several of us on this forum that were at Central City. Even "OLD" Rick Steele. Many of you are to young to remember this operation. It was a pioneer in tourist railroads in Colorado and a great experience!!

Jerry
Photo courtesy of the Denver Public Library Western History Collection



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2008 12:31PM by jalbers.