Re: Heritage Square to close (Magic Mountain)

You really can't go home again. Heritage Square was almost a museum of 3 foot, 2 foot and amusement gauge equipment. Ed Gerlitz and Stu Anderson ran the High Country Railroad using 2 foot gauge Henchels, Mark Lamoreaux's 2 ft Shay and some other visiting 2 foot equipment. One piece was a vertical boiler loco, (I forgot the builders name). Ed would let visitors run the Henchels. Even with 2 foot equipment it was a blast. Ed had a 2 foot gauge pump handcar, my son and I made a a couple of circuits over the loop pumping the handcar up the grade on the south side of the loop and it would eat your lunch. The wig wag crossing signal from Heritage Square is now in service at the CRRM's entrance. Heritage Square hosted many car shows, My son and I showed a lot of cars there.
Ed Gerlitz was a Historian, sharp business man, with a wealth of RR knowledge and an all around nice guy. Some of his accomplishments were heading up the rebuilding of the Georgetown loop, brokering narrow gauge equipment to several tourist railroads, literally saving them. He organized many UP excursions, C&TS and D&SNG ones.He was president of the Rocky Mtn, RR Club. Many, many more accomplishments. He also fired on the D&RGW from Alamosa to Durango during his college years. I am not up on everything Ed did, but someone who knew him better than I did should write something up. It would make for good reading.
Bill Gould



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2015 04:19PM by HighCommander.