Nostalgia & History > CB&Q C&S steam Colorado Excursions C&S E5 passenger train 1950s

This posting has 3 short clips of the Burlington Lines in Colorado, looks like the late 50's. All came from the Colorado area. 
 1st has a large Q engine on an all heavy weight excursion that has at least 3 D&RGW cars, the steam engine I think is 5642.
 2nd clip is C&S 638 at the Denver Station? with an excursion train, with dutch door shots enroute.
 3rd is a C&S passenger train, at Littleton on the D&RGW,  led by a pair of great looking E5's, I don't know enough about the C&S passenger trains to know what train this is.
 photgrapher unknown, my collection. KCRW287

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A few thoughts. Looks like trains trips along the Front Range. The first looks to be a trip to Denver along the CB&Q. Alternatively, it could be CB&Q in Wyoming north of Cheyenne. The second could be the C&S headed northbound toward Cheyenne and the final is definitely the Joint line headed south of Denver.

I had to back up and make a few extra passes, but I will say the depot in #3 is Littleton, which should make the train the "Texas Zephyr" (.......maybe..??... :^)

Lance

rrpreservation Wrote:
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> A few thoughts. . The first looks to be a trip to
> Denver along the CB&Q. Alternatively, it could be
> CB&Q in Wyoming north of Cheyenne. 

Minor nitpick correction here.  While the Q did in fact reach Cheyenne, it came in from the east.  The line that ran north/south through Cheyenne was the C&S.  I will agree the diesel powered streamliner was the Texas Zephyr.  Good stuff, thanks for posting.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Exceptionally well done considering the time period.
The E5 pasenger train is my favorite.
ALLEN

KCRW287 Wrote:

>  1st has a large Q engine on an all heavy weight
> excursion that has at least 3 D&RGW cars, the
> steam engine I think is 5642.

This is 4-8-4 5632, an excursion favorite that sadly met the torch in 1969 (see: https://www.steamlocomotive.com/places/jensen/ ).  The film probably dates from late August or early September 1963 during the NRHS convention in Denver, where 5632 pulled some excursions.  The Denver Public Library has a number of Otto Perry photos showing 5632 pulling an identical consist on August 31, 1963 on an excursion between Denver and Colorado Springs, CO: 

https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/46255/rec/10

There's also a Rob Richardson photo from September 2, 1963 showing the same train on another NRHS convention special, a round trip from Denver to Loveland, CO on C&S:

https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/82977

See also:
https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Jim-Neubauer-Collection/NRHS-Denver-Convention-1963/
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,3170974

>  2nd clip is C&S 638 at the Denver Station? with
> an excursion train, with dutch door shots
> enroute.

That looks like the April 11, 1962 Rocky Mountain Railroad Club trip shown in this Otto Perry photo:

https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/45190

The RMRC newsletters from April and May 1962 suggest this was a round trip to Boulder for the club's annual dinner, departing Denver at 6:00pm.  Amazing to think that in 1962 a railroad club would charter a steam train that ran almost entirely after dark:

http://www.drgw.net/rmrrc/1962/newsletter-32-apr1962.pdf
http://www.drgw.net/rmrrc/1962/newsletter-33-may1962.pdf

Video clip with the Colorado & Southern E5 was southbound passing the Littleton, Colorado, Rio Grande depot that was located between the Denver & Rio Grande and Santa Fe tracks.

Really enjoyed seeing the Texas Zephyr . Thanks for sharing. 

The 638 made it's last trip December 16, 1962 so these films may date to the 1962 excursion season as noted, although I'm thnking with the vegetation and sunflowers the opening sequence may well from August / September 1963. Location reminds me of the area north of Longmont by Vermillion Road or maybe Highway 66, but that's just an educated guess. Train would be going south.

Likely Roadforeman of Engines Mickey Hanson was at the throttle of the CB&Q 5632.

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/20 14:41 by train1275.

cozephyr Wrote:
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> Video clip with the Colorado & Southern E5 was
> southbound passing the Littleton, Colorado, Rio
> Grande depot that was located between the Denver &
> Rio Grande and Santa Fe tracks.

Littleton's Rio Grande depot was saved and moved to another location in Littleton to be adjacent to a light rail station.  In its current location, the station was turned around in relation to the rail corridor (now the BNSF/UP Joint Line and a Denver Regional Transit Distrit light rail transit line).  Here's a photo taken in September 2017 of the depot which, at the time, was being used a coffee house and gift shop. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/20 16:25 by RuleG.

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Nice to see (from the first clip) that there were crazy foamers chasing trains in speeding cars even in the 1950's! 
 

Thanks to all for the views and a big thanks for the info and input, I would have never been able to figure out dates and places. Did the 638 get saved or was it scrapped? it looked very clean here. KCRW287

Not to long after your video 638 lead an excursion to Trinidad where it was  put on display not far from the Safeway, Thank you for Sharing!

638 is on display in Trinidad, CO.  Location is along Purgatoire Drive.
Ron Burkhard

That Texas Zephyr footage is awesome...sure would like to see that same piece taken with a drone :)

The CB&Q 5632 excursion was from Cheyenne to Denver. It was in September 1963. I did confirm this by reviewing slides that show the same consist.