Colorado/Utah/Wyoming VCA Georgetown Event

[LifeIsGood]

Colorado / Utah / Wyoming Viper Club of America
Georgetown Drive/Train Ride/Mine Tour Event
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Georgetown, Colorado​

All current/active VCA members are welcome to attend this event.

Itinerary:

9:15 am SHARP - Meet at the Buffalo Herd Overlook, I-70, exit 254 (Genesee Park), just west of metro-Denver

10:00 am - Arrive at The Georgetown Loop Railroad for a Train Ride and Mine Tour, ticket purchase 30 minutes prior to train departure (exit 228)

10:25 am - Train departs Georgetown

1:00 pm - Arrive back at Georgetown & drive to Idaho Springs for lunch

1:30 pm - Lunch at BeauJo’s pizza in Idaho Springs (exit 240) - Menu

3:00 pm - Depart for an optional drive through Central City/Blackhawk on the way back to Denver​

No RSVP is necssarry. Call Marcy with any questions 720-341-0807 cell # or [email protected]

Parking - Devil’s Gate Station, Georgetown

When traveling on Interstate 70, east or westbound, take Exit #228. Turn right at the Visitor’s Center and follow the signs to Loop Drive from Argentine Street or Sixth Street to the Devil’s Gate parking area. Parking is free and limited to passenger vehicles only.

Roundtrip Diesel Train Fare with Mine Tour

• $30.50 for adults
• $23.00 for children (3 to 15 yrs. of age). The mine tour is not recommended for children under five. No Mine Tour on the last train of the day. Mine tour available daily May 1 - Sept 3 & on weekends in September

The Georgetown Loop Railroad was one of Colorado’s first visitor attractions. Completed in 1884, this spectacular stretch of three-foot narrow gauge railroad was considered an engineering marvel for its time.

The thriving mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume lie two miles apart in a steep, narrow mountain canyon. To connect them, the railroad’s builders designed a “corkscrew” route that traveled twice the distance, slowly gaining more than 600 feet in elevation. It included horseshoe curves, grades of up to 4%, and four bridges across Clear Creek, including the massive Devil’s Gate High Bridge. The Colorado & Southern Railway operated the line for passengers and freight from 1899 to 1938, when it was abandoned.

In 1973, the Colorado Historical Society began restoring the railroad as part of its 978-acre Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park. A replica of the High Bridge was completed in 1984, in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its original construction.

Lebanon Silver Mine
You can enhance your train ride with an optional walking tour of the Lebanon Silver Mine, located at the halfway point on the railroad. The tour takes you 500 feet into a mine tunnel bored in the 1870s. Your guide will point out rich veins of silver and tell you about early-day mining. The temperature inside the mine is a constant 44 degrees Fahrenheit, so bring a jacket. The tour also includes visits to the manager’s office, the miners’ change room and the tool shed.

 

[LifeIsGood]

There has been an update to the itinerary...

Itinerary:

9:45 am SHARP - Meet at the Buffalo Herd Overlook, I-70, exit 254 (Genesee Park), just west of metro-Denver

11:00 am - Arrive at BeauJo’s pizza in Idaho Springs (exit 240) - Menu


1:00 pm - Arrive at The Georgetown Loop Railroad for a Train Ride and Mine Tour, ticket purchase 30 minutes prior to train departure (exit 228)

1:25 pm - Train departs Georgetown

3:30 pm - Arrive back at Georgetown and depart for an optional drive through Central City/Blackhawk on the way back to Denver​

IMPORTANT - CHANGE IN TIMES & LIMITED SEATS ON THE TRAIN RSVP NOW REQUIRED...send an email to Bob Cloutier as your RSVP.