Rocky Mountain Railroad Club Helps Found Colorado Railroad Museum

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In the late 1930s, the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club was formed to ride and preserve the history of Colorado's narrow gauge and interurban railways as they were shutting down. The club acquired some of the rolling stock and hoped to found their own railroad museum. In the 1950s and 60s, they offered to contribute locomotives, railcars, and a streetcar to a new park in Golden, Colorado. Around the same time, Bob Richardson was building a railroad museum in Alamosa and decided to relocate to Golden. The Colorado Railroad Museum opened in 1959, and the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club abandoned plans for their own museum to instead support Richardson's efforts, helping refurbish the equipment and donating more pieces over time. In 2025, the two organizations officially merged, formalizing their long-term partnership.

Why it matters

The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club's efforts to preserve Colorado's railroad history and the eventual founding of the Colorado Railroad Museum highlight the importance of community-driven initiatives to safeguard local heritage. The merger of the two organizations solidifies the museum's role as the premier institution for interpreting the state's rich railroad legacy.

The details

As narrow gauge mountain railways and interurban lines across Colorado were shutting down in the mid-20th century, the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club made it a priority to ride these trains one last time and acquire some of the rolling stock before it was lost. In the 1950s and 60s, the club offered to contribute locomotives, railcars, and a streetcar to a new park being developed in Golden, seeing it as an ideal location for a railroad museum. Around the same time, Bob Richardson was building a similar museum in Alamosa and decided to relocate to Golden, bringing his collection of artifacts. The Colorado Railroad Museum opened in 1959, and the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club abandoned plans for their own museum to instead support Richardson's efforts, helping refurbish the equipment and donating more pieces over the decades. In 2025, the two organizations officially merged, formalizing their long-term partnership.

• The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club was formed in the late 1930s.
• The club acquired rolling stock as narrow gauge and interurban railways closed down in the 1950s.
• The club offered to contribute equipment to a new park in Golden in the 1950s and 60s.
• The Colorado Railroad Museum opened in 1959.
• The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club and Colorado Railroad Museum merged in 2025.

What’s next

The merger of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club and Colorado Railroad Museum in 2025 solidifies the museum's role as the premier institution for interpreting Colorado's railroad history.