| A replica of an 1880s-style depot, The Colorado Railroad Museum building houses thousands of rare old photographs, artifacts and documents illustrating the colorful histories of the railroads which have served the state for over 125 years. An outstanding book and gift shop features hundreds of railroad books and videos, as well as magazines, posters, jewelry and other memorabilia.The museum is located just east of Golden, Colorado, at a point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains. Display tracks, complete with rare three-way stub switches and century-old switch stands, hold many historic narrow and standard gauge locomotives and cars. The museum building, based in exterior design on standard station construction of the 1880s, houses the largest known collection of historic records, mementos, artifacts, and pictures of Colorado railroads.The museum grounds contain three main buildings: the actual museum and gift shop, the Robert W. Richardson Library, and the Cornelius W. Hauck Restoration Facility, better known as the Roundhouse. There is approximately 15 acres of grounds which contain the buildings, locomotives, and rolling stock.The museum grounds also include a shady picnic area. Inside the main building, many interesting old photographs, documents, and artifacts are exhibited. Original photographs by pioneer photographers such as William Henry Jackson and Louis Charles McClure - as well as paintings by Howard Fogg, Otto Kuhler, Ted Rose and other artists - may be found throughout the building. A bay window contains a reconstructed depot telegrapher's office, complete with a working "sounder". Every nook and corner contains its share of fascinating railroad items. |
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