NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
Joseph Bell
August 18, 2004
(303) 866-5750
Vendor Selected for Operation of Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and
Railroad Park
DENVER - The State of Colorado has issued the notice of intent to award the
contract to operate the Colorado Historical Society's Georgetown Loop
Historic Railroad to Railstar Corporation, Cape Vincent, NY. Railstar
Corporation submitted a proposal for Operation of the Georgetown Loop
Historic Railroad and Use of Historic Mining Park through the State RFP
Process. An evaluation committee, consisting of residents of Clear Creek
County, Colorado Historical Society employees and Colorado Historical
Society Board members, reviewed and assessed each of the proposals received
according to the requirements in the Request for Proposal before making its
recommendation.
" Railstar Corporation was selected because they presented the best proposal
in terms of responsiveness to the requirements of the RFP. We feel that
they are the best qualified to meet the needs of the Colorado Historical
Society and the communities by running a safe and successful railroad
operation," said Colorado Historical Society Division Director of Facility
Services Joseph Bell. "The markets in which they have operated have praised
their commitment to their visitors, their business and the community, and we
are looking forward to working with them as partners."
The Colorado Historical Society will begin negotiations with Railstar
Corporation with the final terms of the contract expected to be reached this
fall, at which time the contract to operate the railroad will be awarded to
begin operations with the 2005 season.
Railstar Corporation currently operates the 6th 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, NY, which includes a 2 ft. narrow gauge steam railway.
The Colorado Historical Society, celebrating its 125th anniversary,
was established in 1879 and is headquartered at the Colorado History Museum
in Denver. The 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. The Society is dedicated to collecting,
preserving and interpreting the history of Colorado and the American West.
This educational institution also contains 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 limited-stakes gaming tax revenues. For more information on the
Society call (303) 866-3682 or visit the Web site at
www.coloradohistory.org.
