Georgetown, CO 80444 (population, 1,036)
GPS: N 39.70127, W 105.70666 Google map
Scanner: Georgetown Loop Railroad 160.425 [21], 161.115 [67]
Description: The historic town of Georgetown is a Territorial Charter Municipality that is the county seat of Clear
Creek County, Colorado, United States. Located in the valley floor along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky
Mountains, Georgetown was established in 1859 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, the town itself was not a mining
camp but a center of commerce and entertainment for miners in the surrounding mountains. The federally designated
Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District comprises Georgetown, the neighboring town of Silver Plume, and the
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a 3 ft narrow gauge heritage railroad located in the Rocky Mountains in Clear Creek
County, Colorado. The railroad operates summer tourist trains between the communities of Georgetown and Silver
Plume, a distance of 2 miles. The railroad route is 4.5 miles long and ascends an elevation of 640 feet through
mountainous terrain along with trestles, cuts, fills, and a grand loop. In 1959, the centennial year of the discovery of
gold in Georgetown, the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park was formed by the Colorado Historical
Society. The Colorado Historical Society’s chairman negotiated a donation of mining claims and mills, and nearly 100
acres of land. Interest in restoration of the Loop segment as a tourist attraction in the 1970s led to reopening of
the segment. Rail line construction began in 1973 with track and ties donated by the Union Pacific Railroad, and a new
high bridge was built. The 3-mile restored segment, opened on March 10, 1984, is at the upper end of the historic
Colorado Central main line up Clear Creek Canyon west of Golden. Passengers can board the train at depots located in
Silver Plume and Devils Gate 3/4 of a mile west of Georgetown.
The train ride includes an optional walking tour of the Lebanon Silver Mine, located at the halfway point on the
railroad, where visitors can walk 500 feet into a mine tunnel bored in the 1870s, with guides pointing out once-rich
veins of silver and relating the history of the mine.
Local breakfast: Whistle Stop Café N 39.71350, W 105.69544
Ice Cream: Georgetown Valley Candy Co N 39.70613, W 105.69621
Local Pub and grub: The Alpine Restaurant and Bar N 39.71137, W 105.69540
Personal observations: Just a cool little Tourist RR
TRAINS Article on the Georgetown Loop (access may be limited to subscribers)**
TRAINS Map of the Georgetown Loop (access may be limited to subscribers)**
GPS: N 39.70127, W 105.70666 Google map
Scanner: Georgetown Loop Railroad 160.425 [21], 161.115 [67]
Description: The historic town of Georgetown is a Territorial Charter Municipality that is the county seat of Clear
Creek County, Colorado, United States. Located in the valley floor along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky
Mountains, Georgetown was established in 1859 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, the town itself was not a mining
camp but a center of commerce and entertainment for miners in the surrounding mountains. The federally designated
Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District comprises Georgetown, the neighboring town of Silver Plume, and the
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a 3 ft narrow gauge heritage railroad located in the Rocky Mountains in Clear Creek
County, Colorado. The railroad operates summer tourist trains between the communities of Georgetown and Silver
Plume, a distance of 2 miles. The railroad route is 4.5 miles long and ascends an elevation of 640 feet through
mountainous terrain along with trestles, cuts, fills, and a grand loop. In 1959, the centennial year of the discovery of
gold in Georgetown, the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park was formed by the Colorado Historical
Society. The Colorado Historical Society’s chairman negotiated a donation of mining claims and mills, and nearly 100
acres of land. Interest in restoration of the Loop segment as a tourist attraction in the 1970s led to reopening of
the segment. Rail line construction began in 1973 with track and ties donated by the Union Pacific Railroad, and a new
high bridge was built. The 3-mile restored segment, opened on March 10, 1984, is at the upper end of the historic
Colorado Central main line up Clear Creek Canyon west of Golden. Passengers can board the train at depots located in
Silver Plume and Devils Gate 3/4 of a mile west of Georgetown.
The train ride includes an optional walking tour of the Lebanon Silver Mine, located at the halfway point on the
railroad, where visitors can walk 500 feet into a mine tunnel bored in the 1870s, with guides pointing out once-rich
veins of silver and relating the history of the mine.
Local breakfast: Whistle Stop Café N 39.71350, W 105.69544
Ice Cream: Georgetown Valley Candy Co N 39.70613, W 105.69621
Local Pub and grub: The Alpine Restaurant and Bar N 39.71137, W 105.69540
Personal observations: Just a cool little Tourist RR
TRAINS Article on the Georgetown Loop (access may be limited to subscribers)**
TRAINS Map of the Georgetown Loop (access may be limited to subscribers)**
Georgetown Loop RR
| The Gregarious Railfan |
| Georgetown Loop Railroad |
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