Georgetown Loop


Motley

Motley

Active Member
The Georgetown Loop is a scenic excursion passenger railroad near the mountain town of Georgetown, CO. I want to model this train. It is a narrowguage line built by Colroado & Southern in the 1899. It was restored by the Colorado Historical Society in the 1970s.

Since I don't have narrowguage, I will have to substitute the locomotive. I found the Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0 with DCC & Sound would be a perfect fit. Caboose Hobbies has one in stock in GN. So I can reletter it for Colorado & Southern. Bachmann also has the same exact open excursion cars they use.

Info on the Georgetown Loop: http://www.coloradoscenicrails.com/trains/georgetown/default.aspx

Bachmann steamer http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=879_755_820_825_831&products_id=5016

Bachmann cars http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=258_316_321&products_id=2108

Now that I have all mountain backdrops, it should fit right in.

5-loops_hi_fill.jpg
 
Haven't been up there for awhile, so don't know what they are currently using for motive power. Although I don't model the Georgetown Loop, I have a ski resort (c. 1950's...pretty primative, I guess...I don't ski) up a steep grade from a local station. I use a Climax steamer also standard gage, as I utilize the main to get there. Have fun!
 
Stoker,

Nice pic, is that yours? Did you ride that train? I'm looking for Sprectrum with Sound factory installed. So I think I'll go with the one I found at Caboose. They don't have GTL decals, so I will go with Colorado & Southern decals from Microscale.

Tailrider,

Very cool, can we see some pics of your ski resort?
 
What is the current power on the Loop?? The last time I was there they had a little AlCo diesel switcher pulling the train. It sounded like it was ready to explode going up the hill. The diesels were at the museum at Golden. If I recall there was a big disagreement between two groups.
 
I really don't know what current power they are using. The photo I posted of the 2-6-2 I got from their website. So I assume thats it. In 2004 their contract ended with Colorado Historical Society, and ever since then they've been in trouble trying to keep things going smoothly. The CHS took their steam locomotives with them to the Royal Gorge Route where they are in use now.
 
Motley said:
The Georgetown Loop is a narrowguage line ... built by Colroado & Southern in the 1899.
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??? The Colorado Southern was the last owner of the line, they had nothing to do with the construction. They took it over in 1893 and ran it into the 1930s. The loop itself was built with Union Pacific money under the name Georgetown, Breckenridge, and Leadville Railroad. Before that the Colorado Central had built up to Georgetown in the 1870s to cash in on the silver rush that was going on at the time.

Motley said:
In 2004 their contract ended with Colorado Historical Society, and ever since then they've been in trouble trying to keep things going smoothly.
Click to expand...
Yes, they were pretty desperate in 2005. They even called me and asked if our model railroad club wanted to run it. It was all I could do to keep from falling on the floor laughing. I managed to contain myself and politely told them we had no idea how nor man power to figure out how to run a real railroad.
 
Iron Horseman said:
Yes, they were pretty desperate in 2005. They even called me and asked if our model railroad club wanted to run it. It was all I could do to keep from falling on the floor laughing. I managed to contain myself and politely told them we had no idea how nor man power to figure out how to run a real railroad.
Click to expand...

What? Are you serious? How in the world does a model railroad club know how to operate a tourist railroad. Thats funny as hell.
 
I went to Caboose Hobbies today. I got the 4 cars. I ended up ordering the loco from Trainworld, way lower price than at Caboose. Expect to get the loco by Friday.

Here's one of the cars. I need to add a bunch of passengers in them, install kadees, etc.

P1000465.jpg
 
Mike, I found this photo of when we rode the loop back in 2004... I also have a bunch of the #14 shay:

DSC00693.jpg
 
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Thanks Ian, that looks like the diesel they were using also, logo and paint looks like the D&RGW. I wish Microscale made decals for it.
 
I was last at Georgetown, or should I say Silver Plume was in 2003. They had some sort of Shay I think then, before all the disagreements.

If you want a RTR narrow guage steamer you might look at Blackstone models. I think they are DRGW prototypes. As I understand it Blackstone is part of Bachmann. They make sectional ng track to.
 
Blackstone is not a part of Bachmann. Blackstone is by Soundtraxx.

The Historical Society and the Operator of the Georgetown Loop Railroad had a falling out because the Hisotrical society (who owns the railroad) wanted to increase their take from the profits generated by the operator. This was before the end of the current contract. The operator said no per hos contract and took his equipment (the rolling stock and locomotives were owned by the operator) and moved them to the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
 
I just received the Bachmann 4-4-0 and its a piece of crap. It doesn't like my Peco #6 frogs. It stalls on some of them, others it runs fine. I'm not happy with it. I have too many turnouts just to power the frogs for this one loco.

So I'm returning it and getting an Athearn RTR Old Time 2-6-0, for this train.
 
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