Has anybody ridden these trains in Colorado? If so, what did you think?
Georgetown Loop is a lot of fun. Couple it with a afternoon wandering around the curio shops and fancy restaurants in Georgetown and the wife is thrilled.
The Ski Train is a party train. Me, I’d take the CZ from Denver to Glenwood Springs, stay at the hotel, splash around in the pool, have a nice meal in town, catch the train back the next afternoon, and relax. You see the same scenery and more, and have a nice ride without having beer spilled in your lap.
RWM
This interests me. What hotel are you referencing? Also, if I stay in Glenwood Springs for a couple of nights, would I be able to rent a bicycle there? I am as much a bicycle enthusiast as train buff.
The Ski Train description sounds like a dinner cruise we took in Duluth one year. We were on a wedding cruise, where 90% of the people onboard were with the wedding party-ceremony and all. When we docked, it was all the crew could do, to get 100+ very drunk people back on shore![(-D]
We’re heading on vacation to Colorado this weekend to show the kids what mountains look like. I’ll have to check out the Georgrtown loop.
I rode the ski train back in 98 or 99 with my mom it wasnt that bad we just went up for lunch, Im pretty sure they only serve alcohol on the return trip to Denver. [;)]
(Old post, but I just saw it.) If you have to make a choice between these, and you shouldn’t, let the seasons be your guide. The Ski Train and the Loop run in opposite seasons, obviously. The Ski Train winds for two hours along a very interesting and scenic route, using a diesel streamliner. The Georgetown Loop pulls open NG cars behind steam through even more epic landscapes, but it’s less than a half-day trip. I’d highly recommend both of them!
The Georgetown Loop isn’t nearly as good as it used to be The Colorado Historical Society (which owns the line) terminated their long time contract operator a few years ago (the same outfit that runs the Canon City & Royal Gorge) in favor of a new one, for reasons which have never been clearly explained. Trouble is that the old operator owned all of the equipment that had been used on the line (including the steam locomotives) and, of course, removed it all. The new operator has not been able to run a reliable steam operation (I believe they used a diesel for the entire 2008 season). In fact, at times, they have had trouble conducting any operations. They also appear to be having some difficulties with FRA, as FRA took jurisdiction over the operation this year (they previously had left it alone as an “insular” tourist railroad operation). Not sure of everything that’s going on, but it’s not the same operation it once was.
The Loop is still a fun ride, even without steam. With the new “big” diesel, things seemed a little more reliable this season, too. As RWM said, it’s kind of a neat thing to roll into a day of other activities. Couple it with some shopping in Georgetown or Silver Plume (the former has a lot more stores, but the latter has more “charm”), a drive up Mt. Evans or a trip over Guanella Pass, and it’s a nice day in the Rockies that isn’t desperately far from Denver.
I’ve only ridden the Ski Train once, and it was in the summertime (yes, I’m one of three Coloradoans who has never been skiing). I can’t tell you an awful lot about the train or the beer parties because I got a pretty sweet hook-up. I talked to the conductor and managed to ride all the way to Winter Park (with the exception of the Moffat Tunnel) in the baggage car. Because of that, I had a nice big open window to take pictures out of. I’d post them, but alas! that was in the pre-digital days. I still haven’t gotten a decent slide scanner, so I don’t really have a good way to share them.