Bernie's Colorado Journeys; learns
about the Denver and Rio Grande steam engine #169
Hi….
this is your host, Bernie J of Bernie's Colorado
Journeys, “Your Bridge to Adventure”.
On my travels I recently
visited the City of Alamosa, Colorado, about 4 hours South-West of Denver. This
farming community, settled in 1877, needed a railroad to move its bounty to the
big city markets, and it got one on July 4th, 1878.
Stores, churches and houses
from Garland City, 25 miles east of Alamosa, were transported on flat bed cars,
set up, and occupied within a matter of a few days. A Mr. Joe Perry of the
Perry House, served his guests a big breakfast in Garland City; and that night
he served them supper in the same building in its new Alamosa location.
The Denver and Rio Grande
Railway steam locomotive #169, built in 1883, is on display in Cole Park and has
a colorful history. She was involved in three fatal wrecks and has the
reputation as a “jinxed” locomotive, despite her survival to this day by side
stepping all the WWII metal scrap drives.
Although running the rails
for over 50 years Engine 169 was never retired, but rather stored on a dead
line at the Alamosa rail yard and then reborn when She was cosmetically
restored for display at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The engine was
then donated to the City of Alamosa in the early 1940s for public display and
in the 1960s, it was given to the Alamosa Chamber of Commerce, who owns her
today. She was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
Now that could have been the
end of her story, had it not been for a dedicated group of railroad enthusiasts,
“The Friends of the 169” a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, determined to give
the “little engine that could” a new lease on life. Their dream is to see the
169 in action once again, as a fully functioning locomotive.
I was lucky enough to visit
the display during a Volunteer workweek and met up with Mr. Jim Poston who
graciously took me on a tour of Steam locomotive #169 and a Business VIP kitchen
car that is also being restored. The
interview was done on location so there is some highway noise heard from time
to time.
For everything Bernie’s
Journeys start at Bernie's Colorado Journeys - official state web site
for Colorado Tourism
http://www.colorado.com/tours/bernies-colorado-journeys
http://www.colorado.com/tours/bernies-colorado-journeys
sleeping berth ready for "night-night"
