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| Photo: Dan Adler, property Colorado Historical Society |
©2006CHS  |
| Historic view of the original
Devil's Gate High Bridge looking back toward Georgetown, with
Clear Creek running through the center and the downgrade
roadbed to the right. |
The Georgetown Loop is located 45 miles west of Denver on I-70.
An engineering
marvel originally built in 1884, the railroad fulfilled the hopes
of Georgetown citizens to become a prosperous settlement connected
to Denver and points east.
To connect Silver Plume and Georgetown, towns located over 2 miles
apart, the tracks had to scale an elevation of 640 feet over mountainous
terrain, requiring trestles, cuts, fills, loops, and curves totaling 4.5 miles.
Today
the Loop is once again a popular tourist attraction and an uncommon
way to see the Clear Creek Valley. Along the route visitors
may stop for guided tours of a historic silver mine. The park is
located on 978 acres and includes an 1884 depot, the Morrison Interpretive
Center, two 1860s mines, an 1871 mill building, four reconstructed
mine buildings, a locomotive maintenance building, the 1874 Pohle House, and a new rolling stock shelter.
Reservations can be made by calling 1-888-4-LOOP-RR (1-888-456-6777), or click here for on-line reservations.
History and Timeline of the
Georgetown Loop (in PDF format)
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