Re: Any videos about Colorado NG history?

Hi, Ray!!

I think that what Ray is suggesting has a lot of merit - a video introduction to Colorado NG RR history that is targeted more to the general public instead of the dyed-in-the-wool NG enthusiast.

The one-hour EBT RR "Living Landmark" video was created by Deane Mellander, a knowledgable EBT historian and author, who scripted and narrated the piece. Still photos from the 1870's up through the 1920's were used to illustrate the program at the beginning. The earliest film action in this video is from 1937 (where the Timber Transfer crane retrucking operation is shown). Then follows some color film from the late 1940's - early 1950's and then modern video to show tourist-era operations. "A Living Landmark" was done as a fundraiser for FEBT and has brought in some thousands of dollars to fund ongoing restoration activities at the EBT RR. I've seen this video thousands of times as I show & sell it at the displays I present at northeastern USA trainshows in behalf of FEBT (see the display at the W. Springfield Mass. trainshow on Jan. 29-30, 2011).

I think that a video like this could be an excellent souvenier item to sell to passengers at the C&TSRR or D&SRR. I'd start it with a map showing how in the 1870's-1880's the narrow gauge lines spread through the mountains to reach places the standard gauge couldn't, then still photos and whatever limited video clips were available to illustrate the story of the prosperity and decline of the narrow gauge, and then show video of what reminants survives today.

I could think of a lot of good uses for an educational-oriented video like this, such as schools, libraries, and perhaps even to educate our elected leaders???

Jim Vliet