Silver Plume and Georgetown today are adjacent to I-70, the east-west interstate through Colorado's Rockies. Georgetown is approximately 11 miles west of Idaho Springs, itself about 18 miles west of the intersection of I-70 and CO 470, just west of Denver, on the eastern slope of the Front Range. Georgetown is about 4 miles west of the I-70 junction with US 40, over Berthoud Pass, to Winter Park, Frasier, Grandby, MiddlePark, etc. US 40 is an alternate route between Denver and Salt Lake City.
Georgetown is located at the foot of Guenellas Pass(the route to South Park). Georgetown's claim to fame, in terms of its mining history is the discovery of silver ores in the area. Today, the town is a historic district. There is also a largerish lake, which is a wildlife area.
Silver Plume, is a few miles west of Georgetown, and a bit higher in elevation. Silver Plume was also a mining community. It is somewhat less restored, and less commercial than Georgetown, with many unpaved streets.
Among the many touristy attractions in the Georgetown/Silver Plume area, is the Georgetown Loop Railraod. This line was originally constructed as part of the Colorado Central Railroad. The Colorado Central wound its way up Clear Creek Canyon, from Golden, with one branch heading towards Blackhawk, and Central City, the other headed towards Georgetown and Silver Plume. The one line ended in Silver Plume, due to the increasingly rugged mountains. The Georgetown Loop Railroad's claim to fame is a loop of track that crosses over itself on a high bridge, to gain elevation, to reach Silver Plume. The train is a seasonal operation, ending the first weekend in October(a few days before I passed through). The line prior to its reopening in the late 1980's or early 1990's, was closed for a good number of years, however has a rich history of hauling tourists between the two towns. Be forewarned: In Georgetown, purchase your train tickets at the the railroad's headquarters, up the street from the Georgetown Visitor's Center. Otherwise, you may not be able to ride the train, as tickets are not sold where you board.
Georgetown hosts a Christmas Festival every year, which receives a fair amount of attention.
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1. Main drag in downtown Silver Plume. The buildings are authentic, and yes, the street is dirt.
2. Typical house in Silver Plume. If you act fast, it still might be available.
3. Colorado & Southern caboose, in Silver Plume park. This type of caboose is sometimes referred to as a 'bobber.'
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1. End of track for the Georgetown Loop Railroad, in Silver Plume, CO. The locomotive is a geared locomotive, with an offset boiler. A geared locomotive uses gears, instead of rods, to connect the pistons, to the driving wheels. Shay and Heisler are two companies that made these types of engines. These types of locomotives were commonly found on logging railroads, or select branch lines, where the loads were heavy, the line had curves sharp, or the grade was steep.
2. View of old railroad equipment, near the Silver Plume station. The railroad cars have wood sides and ends, with metal underframes. This was the typical construction technique of the period.
3. The Silver Plume station, of the Georgetown Loop Railroad.
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4. View of the Georgetown Loop Shop area, looking from the Silver Plume station area.
5. Need some wheels? Must be narrow gauge, with outside counterbalances. Note that the 3rd set from the right is a set of 'blind drivers.' This means that it has no flange(part of wheel, that fits inside the tracks) and simply rides on top of the rail. Blind drivers were used on engines where the curves are paticularly tight and typically fitted as one of the middle drivers on the locomotive. Some larger Lionel train locomotives apply the same concept.
Georgetown Loop Railroad "The Loop"
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1. View from the Georgetown Loop overlook on I-70. This is the view, looking uphill(westward) toward Silver Plume. The Silver Plume station and shop area is right behind the forested hill in the center of the picture, to the left of the highway cut.
2. View of the central part of the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Note the colorful aspen.
3. Above the right edge of the slope, is the loop bridge(black), of the Georgetown Loop Railroad. The loop bridge completes the loop of track that climbed from Georgetown, to Silver Plume, on the orginal Colorado Central Railroad.
Wildlife Around Georgetown Upon getting ready to get back in the car, upon taking the previous pictures, a fellow visitor pointed out that there were some Big Horn Sheep, across I-70, on the hillside. Unfortunately, they don't show up to well in these pictures(are big horn sheep using camoflauge these days?). There were 3 or 4 sheep on the hillside. Maybe if you blow up these pictures, you can find them. Good luck! As far as I know, blue road signs don't grow wild here. Look at the dark spots. In the lower one, there is one sheep, and two in the upper dark spot. The sheep are more or less facing away from the camera. Georgetown
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1. Alpine Hose(Fire Company) in Georgetown, a block or two off of main street. The street in the foreground heads to Guenellas Pass, upon leaving town.
2. The white building, across the street with the bell tower, is the city hall of Georgetown. The redish-brown building in the background is a museum for Public Service of Colorado.
3. Main street in downtown Georgetown. Main Street is paved.
4. Main Street in downtown Georgetown, looking in the opposite direction from picture 3, above. Note I-70 on the slope, above Main Street, in the distance. Judging by the foliage, I was here the right day.
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Updated 7/20/2004
(c) Copyright, J. Carl Shaw, 2003. All Rights Reserved. Phootos may be used by giving credit to the photographer.