Railroad enthusiasts have an opportunity to learn about the history of the railroads that facilitated the settlement of our area in the 1800s this weekend. The Buena Vista Railfest set for Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21 offers a glimpse into the real-life on the rails, including presentations by historians at the BV History Museum, 506 E. Main St., as well as tours.
The program begins at 8 a.m. Saturday with registration, followed by presentations on the Colorado Midland Railroad by Mel McFarland at 9 a.m., the history of the Denver South Park and Pacific Railroad by Bob Shoppe at 10 a.m. and a review of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad at 11 a.m. by George Barnett.
A “hobo lunch” and a tour of the Buena Vista Model Railroad Society detailed historical display will follow. Additional historical presentations on the Colorado Midland Railroad with Dan Abbott and the Denver South Park and Pacific by Ray Perschbacher will follow, along with a roundtable discussion and question-and-answer session with the presenters.
At 4 p.m., a tour of the 1890 Railroad Depot and 1883 Caboose Transportation Museum will follow.
From 7 to 9 p.m., participants will be able to enjoy viewing rail layout and factory tours: BK switches, Trout Creek Engineering, Classic Miniatures, and Tru-Scale Models, as well as take in-home railroad layouts by Harley Hamilton and Vic Kuklin.
On Sunday, Railfest participants will leave the museum at 9 a.m. for a carpool tour of the South Park and Pacific Railroad route from Buena Vista to Hancock, with an optional hike to the historic Alpine Tunnel east portal, above Hancock.
Costs is $65, including a Sunday box lunch. For more information, contact the museum at(719) 395-8458 or visit www.buenavistaheritage.org
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