Georgetown Loop - Colorado - USA
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- čas přidán 20. 09. 2017
- I joined a tour called “Colorado Rail Adventure” put together by “Vacations by Rail” to see and visit some of Colorado’s amazing railroads. Our first railroad was the “Georgetown Loop” a remnant of the once extensive 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge Colorado and Southern Railway. Today the line runs between Devil’s Gate High Bridge and Silver Plume along the narrow “Clear Creek” canyon crossing the creek four times along its twisting route that also includes a complete spiral. Our locomotive for this trip is Engine number 9, a three truck Shay type locomotive built by Lima Locomotive Works, Lima, Ohio in 1923. Before moving on we take a look at the historic township of Georgetown.
Music - 00.00 - ES_Big Wheels by Hakan Eriksson from epedmicsound.com
35.07 - ES_Barefoot Summer 19 by Stefan Netsman also from epedemicsound.com
O, Colorado' montain railway. Nice trip, thank you very much, dear Tim!
Thank you, I'm pleased you liked this video.
I've ridden this train. As of last month, June 2019, the Shay # 9 wasn't running. No diesels were running either. They had all the windows and doors boarded up on it, while parked on a siding. When I was there, they had the Central American steam locomotive # 111 running.
Hi, it's an interesting and unusual railroad. The Shay is my favourite, I was lucky to see it in action when I visited.
Very nice trip.
I love the throaty sound of the steam whistle on the Shay. Such a great railroad sound. Nice video Tim!
Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed it. The sound of the Shay engine working hard in the deep sided valley, was unlike any engine I'd heard before and that whistle was straight out of an American cowboy film.
Shays are amazing machines, probably my favorite of all steam locomotives. I've driven past the Georgetown Loop railroad on 4 or 5 occasions. One of these days I'll have to take a trip there and ride it. I'm looking forward to your Cumbres & Toltec video, another trip on my bucket list.
Another railway Treat from Tim! Thank you!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it, I never knew there were so many railways and museums in Colorado.
Hi,Tim.New region from you... Amazing video.Thanj you .greetings,
Hi Maris, this part of the world was new to me and the railways were amazing. I look forward to uploading more videos covering this memorable trip. Best wishes,. Tim.
Tim, that was another wonderful video. Idiosyncratic and surrounded with vistas, views and the drone of the 'lumbering' colloquial verbiage. All part of the experience! My you and yours have seen some sights! Thanks for the ride, my virtual horizons have broadened so much, since the initial COVID lockdown. Keep safe all: otherwise 'keep Sage'. Peter
Hi Peter, I'm really starting to miss travelling now, although the extra time has given me a chance to edit and share some of my travel experiences that do not included a train. I love to see the world from a railway carriage window, I also love travel, the world is full of amazing sights, I'd need several lifetimes to see just a fraction of the jewels this wonderful planet has to offer. For now I understand and respect the travel restrictions administrations around the world have imposed, I just keep my fingers crossed that an effective and safe vaccine will be made available soon. Take care and stay safe. Tim.
1978 in colorado i worked for railroad builders in englewood co and i had the pleasure to work on this railroad on some maintance and it is an awesome ride and the scenery is outstanding
It must have been interesting to work on the line, possibly a bit scary at times, especially for the track maintenance men who check and repair the rails across the viaduct.
worked mostly on switches not on bridges
I enjoy your channel thank you. PEACE...
Thank you, I appreciate your comment.
Very good video!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Hello Tim! What a beautiful railway line. I did not know it was. Driving with a Shay locomotive is really nice. Always nice cozy. She draws everything that is attached to her. Many greetings from Hans from Millquarter (Mühlviertel) Austria. So go on with your super videos. Bye Bye.
Hello Johann, this was an unusual railway, part of a once extensive 3 ft gauge system that cover much of Colorado and watching a Shay locomotive in action was fascinating, so many moving parts.
Cracking video Tim.....I would have loved to do this trip...Best wishes....Steve.
Hi Steve, the railways of Colorado are well worth visiting, this was the shortest ride, but an excellent introduction to the unusual and interesting lines we were to visit on this tour. American railway preservation is somewhat different to that we are used to in the UK.
One has to wonder what gave Ephrim Shay the original idea for this kind of traction ---- truly a stroke of genius
I studied the drive and was surprised at how simple the complicated looking mechanism really is. Designing an engine for lightly laid uneven logging lines where speed was a secondary consideration was a tall order, fortunately the Shay really was equal to the task, a brilliant piece of design excellence.
Prachtig!
Ik ben blij dat je genoten.
Hello Tim, maybe I'm wrong I remember to see this railway loop at some US movies. Another highlight at your video is Shay loco #9 by Lima, Ohio. First time I noted this special type of steam locos was at report of preserved narrow 'wood' railways ("Waldbahnen") at California near Sacramento. - Heinz
Hello Heinz, this was the first of three steam worked railways I visited on this tour that feature in Western Cowboy and Indian films. The Shay locomotive was a masterpiece of mechanical engineering designed especially to run on light uneven logging railways. I found the drive particularly interesting, although it looked complicated, it was really very simple and robust.
Hope seeing more cars being restored to use for GLRR
It's always nice to see cars being restored, it gives people a reason to visit again.
I remember I went on the Georgetown loop this summer. I've got a story. So steam loco 111 was pulling us up the mountain when a few minutes after the bridge, 111 got stuck on the grade, we reversed back and then we tried it again. Still couldn't make it up the gradients. So story short their diesel? locomotive had to come rescue us and pull us the rest of the way up into Silverplume Depot.
That was probably my most memorable ride on the railroad I've probably ridden it about 5 or 6 times. I was amused, probably because I'm a train geek.
Hi, I enjoyed reading about your recent trip, when things go wrong, it can certainly make the trip far more interesting, unless you are on a tight scheduled. This is a fascinating railway and I enjoyed listening to the conductor giving a brief history of line. It's great to have an interest such as railroads, because it gives you a reason to do things and go places.
I don't think the conductor has all his ducks in a row. He said the Colorado & Southern became the Colorado Central. I think it was the other way around, if he's referring to the 1899 merger.
I live in the UK, my knowledge of American Railroads is not up to scratch so I looked it up - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_and_Southern_Railway this article confirms your comment.
Thanks! You're a welcome visitor at Colorado Railroads any time! www.corailroads.com
I took a look at the website corailroads.com, it looks interesting, thanks for the link.
Fantastic trip! That spiral is rather like the Albula Bahn in Switzerland (have you been on that?). Those Shays are fascinating, you got a good view of the workings. Sounds great tearing along at all of about 10 miles an hour.
Hi Andrei, this was an interesting ride, as you say, a bit like the Albula line which I feature in one of my early videos. The shay is a masterpiece of straightforward engineering, although it looks complicated, it is really quite simple and robust, because it is accessible, it is easy to maintain.
Nadherná krajina,jako bych v tom vlaku jela.
Ahoj, jsem rád, že se vám to líbilo video.
Hello, I am from Ukraine! Thank you!
Hi, I hope you are keeping well. Best wishes from Tim in England.
Hi, Tim! I see you've caught Roger Miller's favourite loco here.... Engine, engine number 9, comin' down that railroad line....! LOL
czcams.com/video/jiHDdVa25N0/video.html - here is that song, although he might have been singing about a different engine number nine.
At around the 29-minute mark, I heard the corniest riddle I'm ever likely to hear... "Why couldn't the steam loco sit down?.... Because it had a 'tender' behind!" Oh dear!
The terrible jokes are all part of the experience. What notes does a piano play when it is thrown down a mine shaft? ..... A flat miner.
All of your videos have breathtaking footage. Just curious what type of camera you use? By the way, that train was the most unique train I've ever seen. I've never seen a train with parallel rotating gears and pistons before. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi, thanks for your comment, it is appreciated. My main camera is a Sony FDR-AX53 Handycam, I list the equipment I use under the "About" button on my channel page. The locomotive is a shay logging locomotive, designed to run on poor quality track over rough terrain. Please click on this link to read more about these fascinating locomotives - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shay_locomotive
Shay type locomotives were built mostly by Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio. The design was invented by a man named Ephriam Shay, hence the name of the type. The smallest Shays were 2 cylinder models, but the majority were 3 cylinders. They all had the cylinders mounted on the right side of the frame and the boiler was offset to the left side. This gave the engineer quite a lot of room and cramped the fireman between the boiler and left side of the cab. The smaller and the mid sized models had 2 trucks and the wheels were driven by a ring gear and a pinion gear on the outside of the truck. All axles on a Shay are driven by the gears, connected to the crankshaft with drive shafts and universal joints. The largest Shays were the 3 truck models like #9. Many were built at Lima and others were built under license on the West Coast. They are the largest Shays ever built and are known as Pacific Coast Shays. The Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad, in California, runs a 2 truck Shay and also has a West Side Lumber 2 truck Heisler.
When this line was built most of the trees had been cut down for use in the mines and for fuel. This is second growth timber and is no more than about 130 years old. Compare what you see here to photos of around construction and different periods between then and now.
The commentator on the train described the scene at the time of construction, saying that the valley had been stripped on trees for mine props and fuel. I also bought a book showing the line over the years, it looks very different today when compared to the early days.
what a strange driving system on the engine..never seen that before....
The shay locomotives are fascinating, so many moving parts on show. They were designed to haul trains on logging railways where speed was not so important, they had to cope with steep gradients and poor track. Please click on this link to learn a little more - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shay_locomotive
Train #9 home is mt Pleasant Iowa
Shay # 9 is back on this very line, as of last month, June 2019.
What whistle does the number 9 shay use at Georgetown here?!
I've no idea what whistle the shay uses, but it sounds awesome.
5:30 I wouldn't blow too many whistles on that matchstick bridge for fear of dislodging a cross-member or a pylon.
No fair Tim. This isn't a real train. We have a few more of these in other canyons and such - tourist traps (I am sure they sell plastic models of it too). Lets stick with the real things from here on, okay ?
I really enjoy your excellent videos, your steady multi-camera angles, background stills and music at the end and the lack of clutter with voice-over narration. As many commenters have already testified, you pretty much let the video speak for itself. That’s great! However, on the Georgetown Loop Railroad, The Mountain Washington Cog Railway videos and perhaps others, you inadvertently faded away from interior railway car shots containing interesting historical background audio narrated by the conductor. While this sound was not “on mike,” it was still very interesting and understandable information, until it was cut out, as the video dissolved to another outside shot. I hope you will consider NOT cutting out this type of interesting background material in future videos. You do a very professional multiple-camera edited production. Please just keep this in mind for future videos and please consider letting the inside-the-car narration run while it’s there, whether “full” or as voice-over. You can still use the same outside scenery and shots as “B-roll” video behind the interior audio. This may take a little more post-production work in the time-line editor, but would keep the meaningful background narration in place without sacrificing the beauty of the outside images. You are the best cab-ride/scenic video producer I have seen on CZcams. You put a lot of effort and expense into your productions. I really do appreciate that. But, I know you are quite capable of enhancing your productions just a little more by letting the on-board narration run full.. Just a thought. Richard Taylor.
Hi Richard, thank you for your comment, constructive criticism is always welcome. I watched the video again and I fully understand why you have bought this to my attention, I agree with your observations. When I start to edit a video, I am often left wondering why I ended the shot when I did. There are many reasons, I am not always paying enough attention to the commentary, sometimes the steady software has a mad moment, there is a sudden jolt or someone walks in front of the camera. It would be wonderful to have more time, but I am usually part of a group on an organised rail-tour, as this the most cost effective way to visit a number of railways in an area. I don't get a second chance.
In an ideal world, I would love to make these videos for a living as this would give me the opportunity to spend days at each railway rather just hours. Unfortunately it is not possible to earn enough from CZcams, so for now I will have to continue working full time as a designer/engineer.
I hear all constructive criticism and I will act on it where ever possible. I avoid using as much music as I used to and within reason I leave tunnels in if the quality of the picture is OK. I enjoy editing these videos as it gives me a chance to re-live the trip, often seeing things I missed originally. Another difficulty I have is where those around me are speaking in a foreign language, using unsuitable language or where copyright music is playing in the background. If I don't understand what is being said, I will remove much of it. Thank you for taking time to comment, it is appreciated. Tim.
Very good video. Does the commentator ever shut up? Is there a car you can ride where you can't hear him? I want to take this trip but don't know if I could stand the commentary the entire trip. How long is the trip (miles and time? Thank you for the video.
I agree, the commentator has to go!
Thank you, the ride takes about 1 hr 15 minutes return and the route is 4.5 miles long (7.2 km). The commentary is almost continuous although I think the camera amplified it as I didn't really notice it whilst I was on the train - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown_Loop_Railroad www.georgetownlooprr.com/faqs-loop
Never seen bell ringing engine
I saw a lot of bell ringing engines on this tour and now I think about it, bell ringing engines are rare outside the USA.
9:20 Is it me or does a 4-digit car number in Colorado just seem obtuse or silly?
I used Google to look up more information about the carriage with no success, but other carriages operated by the railway were originally owned by the Rio Grande Railroad. The carriage number must have been allocated by the Rio Grande, they used to own thousands of carriages, hence a number in the thousands.
The GLR rolling stock really is a rummage bin of different stock, but I would bet real money that car wasn't from the Rio Grande's narrow gauge passenger service. To be completely honest, my comment was more snarky than serious. Sorry.
No worries, it gave me a reason to try and find out where it came from, although on this occasion even the internet didn't supply an answer.
Nice video Tim. Shame about the intrusive commentary, wish that bloke had given his jaw a rest for while.
Thank you, I think the running commentary and awful jokes are and American thing. By the end of my tour I even found myself smiling at some of the jokes.
Timsvideochannel1 I think I would have parked myself next to the smoke stack on leading car to drown his voice out instead!
Now, the chimney stack did make an impressive noise.
No koncno da ga nekoga je toliko v hlacah da poleg avta vozi tudi lukamatijo mislim lokomotivo..
Google Translate puts Mirjam's comment thus: "Well, finally, there's someone in his pants that drives a car locomotive alongside the car."
I am not quite sure what that means. I don't speak Slovenian.
Did he just say "alright ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who did not buy a ticket, this is where you get off MY TRAIN...." While ON THE BRIDGE????? Harsh
Yes, that is what he said, fortunately, everyone on our train had a ticket.