by Michele Kadison

There’s hardly a person who isn’t mesmerized by the sound of a train whistle blowing in the distance, suggesting the romance and freedom of travel. One of the best places to enjoy the nostalgia of the old railroad system is the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. Whether you are a child or an adult, the allure of trains will always stand as something apart from other forms of transportation.

Located at the foothills of the Colorado Rockies, the museum is the perfect place to bring the family. Visit the five stall roundhouse where you will find the machine shop complete with original woodshop and welding tools. Here you will see the D & R GW Locomotive #318, the oldest Colorado train along with an authentic drop pit and an inspection pit. Take a look at the long turning pole on the half-draw lead track that was pushed by one person in order to rotate a locomotive on a 4 rail turntable.

Other trains include the Adolph Coors Company refrigerator car, which was part of the original group of “billboard reefers” that were used once Prohibition was repealed in 1934. These self-advertising cars held bricks of ice to keep the beer cold while they were being transported during the summer months. Ice refills went through the hatches in the roof of each car. In the winter, heaters were placed in the bunkers to prevent the beer from freezing. Today you can still see three of these trains pulling 50 cars leaving the Golden station to deliver beer throughout the U.S.

Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy your day at the museum where you will get a true sense of locomotive history.

Address: 17155 W 44th Ave., Golden, CO 80403
Phone: 303-279-4591/800-365-6263
Email: info@crrm.org
Directions: Take I-70, Exit 265 westbound, or Exit 266 eastbound
Admission: Adults $12, Seniors $10, Children $5, Family $25
Hours: Daily 9am – 5 pm

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