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Cheyenne’s Big Boy Locomotive a Big Part of Railroad History

by Deb C September 16, 2019

Seventh in series of posts about traveling in Colorado & Wyoming.

Cheyenne’s Big Boy locomotive is a really big deal

It happened that our first and one of our primary stops in Cheyenne was to see “Big Boy” locomotive #4004. It’s a massive restored steam locomotive on view in Holliday Park. While it was on a list of things to see in Cheyenne, we had no idea that it was a huge attraction in more ways than one.

Holliday Park itself is an attraction in Cheyenne. It offers so much: an art center, basketball courts, a bike path, horse shoes, a pond, picnic facilities, play areas, restrooms, tennis courts, and more. Big Boy dominates one corner and there’s plenty of parking close to it.

Cheyenne’s Big Boy Locomotive a Big Part of Railroad History

A Big Boy is the world’s largest steam locomotive, and when you see one, there’s no doubt. The powerful coal-fired engine is designed to pull a 3600-ton train over the steep grades between Cheyenne, WY and Ogden, Utah. The locomotives are 132 feet long and weigh 1.2 million pounds. Because they are so long, they are hinged, or articulated so that they can get around the curving railroad tracks. Just to walk around #4004 is like walking a city block or two.

The sign by #4004 and the Union Pacific Company website, explain that 25 Big Boys were made exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad. When working on the first engine, a worker chalked the name, “Big Boy”, on the smoke box door and the name stuck.

Big Boy locomotives ran from 1941 until the late 50’s or so, when more efficient diesel engines came into favor. The 4004 is one of seven remaining Big Boys on display throughout the country. To find out more about the Big Boys and Union Pacific, click here.

Cheyenne’s Big Boy Locomotive Restoration and Tour

We researched #4004 and we discovered that Union Pacific brought Big Boy #4014, one of #4004’s “brother” engines, back to Cheyenne for restoration in 2013. It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s Completion. As part of the celebration, they christened #4014 at Cheyenne Depot Station, our next stop.

After the christening and commemoration ceremony of the driving of the Golden Spike, which marked the transcontinental railroad’s completion, Big Boy #4014 set off on a tour of the Union Pacific system. It’s route goes through Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and back to Wyoming by the end of 2019. Here’s a link to the schedule: Big Boy #4014 Tour Schedule. If you, or anyone you know likes trains, it’s absolutely worth checking out.

Not a railroad buff? Big Boy is worth going out of your way to see. The Big Boy is a tribute to United States history, mechanical engineering and design, and historic preservation.

For those who would like to know more about how the Transcontinental Railroad came about and the Union Pacific’s role, click here.

Cheyenne Steamers – Family Railroad Fun

Operated seasonally, the Cheyenne Steamers is a affordable miniature train ride that fits all shapes and sizes, and ages. The train travels a around a 1/10 mile circuit track. Enjoy your time riding the train or watch kids have fun. It’s located next to the Cheyenne Ice & Events Center at 1530 W. Lincolnway. Be sure to check ahead of time to see if the ride is operating to avoid disappointment. Follow on FB: facebook.com/cheyenne.steamers/

Other train attractions in Cheyenne include: Cheyenne Depot and Cheyenne Depot Museum (121 W. 15^th St., Engine 1242 (Carey Ave. & Lions Park Dr.), French Merci Train (2001 E. Lincolnway), and Ames Monument (West on 1-80, Exit 329).

September 16, 2019 0 comment

Museums New experience Quirky Finds Travel in the United States U.S. History

Finding Strange Nederland Colorado

by Deb C July 31, 2019

Fourth in a series of posts about traveling in Colorado & Wyoming.

Finding Nederland Colorado – Home of the Strange

One of the guidebooks that we obtained from the Colorado Tourism Bureau had a small blurb about Nederland. It said that Nederland is one of the strangest towns you will ever visit.

With that kind of billing, how could we not go? It’s conveniently located along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway and not all that far from Boulder.

How Nederland got it’s name

The mountains surrounding it are big and high. Nederland itself, and it’s houses and buildings are small and low. According to a walking tour handout, it was once a “wild montane meadow and trading post between the Ute and Arapaho People, mountain trappers, and explorers.”

Gradually cabins were built and a town evolved named Middle Boulder, after the creek that flows through it. In the 1870’s silver and gold were found in the area, at much higher elevations, around 10,000 feet. A company from the Netherlands owned one of the mines. The miners brought their ore down to Middle Boulder for milling as the weather was much milder. It came to be known as “Nederland”, which means low land in the Dutch language.

Get Guidance at the Visitors Center

1923 Panama Canal Steam Shovel, Bucyrus Model 50-B

There’s a free parking lot a block or two behind the main street through town. The downtown is very walkable with most highlights within a few blocks of each other. We found a lovely lady in the Visitors Center in the heart of town dispensing guides and advice. Nearby, a huge vintage steam shovel, a la Mike Mulligan, overshadows the Mining Museum.

It’s the only existing 1923 Bucyrus Model 50-B steam shovel. It was used on the Panama Canal.

A sign on the side of the steam shovel explains how it got from Panama to California, and then to Denver, then Lump Gulch, and finally, Nederland.

Mining Museum chock full of artifacts

The Mining Museum is free and it’s barn-like building is full of mining artifacts, large and small. There’s someone to answer questions and plenty of signage explaining the exhibits. The miners must have been very strong and hardy men to handle all the heavy equipment used in the mining process.

Ore cars and wagons and other pieces of heavy equipment are on display outside of the museum and in the town.

Exhibits at the Nederland, Colorado Mining Museum

Dead Guy on Ice!?

A little down a side street is a locked shed. We first assumed, from the signs, that it contained the body of a Norwegian nicknamed Grampa Bredo. He was cryogenically frozen after his death in the late 1980s . His grandson arranged to have him brought from Norway to Nederland.

Grampa Bredo is actually up in a shed looking down over Nederland. Grampa rests in a steel coffin packed tightly in dry ice in an insulated wooden box stored in the shed.

Every few weeks a local, dubbed “The Ice Man”, drives to Denver and brings back about a ton of dry ice to the shed. Family members pay about $700 a month for this delivery service. In addition, they take care of the upkeep of the shed and property.

Frozen Dead Guy shed in Downtown Nederland, Colorado

Due to this strange “resident,” Nederland celebrates Frozen Dead Guy Days every March. The activities include a coffin race, a costumed polar plunge and other chilly entertainment. The grandson of Grampa Bredo calls it “Cryonics’ first Mardi Gras”.

Quirky Colorado Festival

Looking around this small town, it’s hard to imagine, 25,000 people descending upon it for three days of the quirky event. Some consider it the “Best Dead Man’s Party” in the world. Large heated tents with live music and Bourbon and beer help keep the revelers warm as there aren’t large halls to accommodate them.

USA Today ranked Frozen dead Guy Days among the top five of “Best Cultural Festivals in 2017.” Periodically, the festival is mentioned on national and international TV, radio, and in newspapers.

More than Grampa Bredo is on ice during the festival

2019’s event featured a parade of coffin racers and hearses, a frozen t-shirt contest, icy bowling, and ice carving. Perennially popular activities include the Grampa Look-Alike Contest and Grampa’s Blue Ball.

If there’s a way to have fun centered around cold and dead Grampa, the organizers seem to have run with it.

Brews for Bredo

Local breweries commemorate Grampa with special brews such as “Dead Guy Ale” by Rogue Brewing and “Bredo’s Brew” by Grossen Bart. And why not, as Colorado is known for its breweries. We saw a brewery in Nederland, but it wasn’t open so we didn’t get to sample any local beers or raise a glass to Grampa.

It’s also strange finding a carousel in Nederland, Colorado

Down along the main street lies The Carousel of Happiness, a true vintage and running example. It’s said to have been a “mental health project” lovingly restored over several decades by a resident. The 1910 carousel features 56 hand-carved animals that waltz to the tunes of a 1913 Wurlitzer band organ.

How unexpected to find a carousel in a small former mining town in the Rockies, rather than seaside or amusement park area setting. Nearby is a old railroad caboose and train car turned into a small cafe. We bought a couple of frozen yogurt cones at the cafe and sat near an open door to the carousel to watch the animals and people whirl by.

Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, Colorado

Carousel of Happiness, Nederland, Colorado

A lot more in this little town

Although small, the town boasts several restaurants, gift shops, and places to stay. There are picnic areas, one with a playground, and hiking trails. There’s the brewery and even an EV charging station. The older part has several cosy shops and there’s a newer shopping plaza and hardware store near the carousel. If you venture to some of the side streets, you will see older and quaint housing. There’s fishing in the nearby Barker Reservoir on Rt. 119. Nederland isn’t too far from the Eldora Ski Resort.

We stopped into the post office to buy postcard stamps, which they were out of. Maybe sending postcards from the “strangest town you’ll ever visit” is a big deal.

But wait, there’s more…

Something that our grandparents weren’t able to do after trips that Baby Boomers can is research online about places that raised their curiosity. The Frozen Dead Guy Days piqued my interest and the Internet had more details about the festival. YouTube videos show the actual shed, the “Ice Man”, and the wooden box with Grampa Bredo covered in dry ice.

And still more…

A 60 minute documentary, Grampa’s Still in the Tuff Shed, tells the story of Grampa Bredo. Award winning filmmakers created it with help from Michael Moore. It’s shown during Frozen Dead Guy Days. File this under “you can’t make this stuff up.”

The festival looks like a real hoot, or should I say gobble. One video shows a clip of the frozen turkey bowling. If you like winter sports and are looking for a different life experience, plan a trip to Colorado centered around the Frozen Dead Guy Days.

July 31, 2019 0 comment

Museums New experience Travel in the United States U.S. History

Purple Mountains Majesties, Part 2

by Deb C July 29, 2019

Second in a series of posts about traveling in Colorado & Wyoming.

Wherever you go in Denver, you’re aware of the elevation and of the mountains as a backdrop, so even though this post is about the city, the mountains are part of your overall experience.

Exploring Denver, Day 2

Determined to get tickets to the Denver Mint, we rose early and arrived there about 7:30 a.m. To our surprise, the first available tickets were for the 12:30 p.m. tour, the morning tour tickets already gone. Note: Tickets are free and have to be used the day you pick them up.

We had had a minimal breakfast at the hotel. So, tickets in hand, we walked to the Denver Diner, which served a generous breakfast and bottomless coffee.

Free Trolley makes cruising the Denver Mall easy

Next, we headed over to the Denver Mall. As we paused to get our bearings, a friendly Denver resident stopped and asked if we needed directions. After talking with our “casual tour guide” we found and hopped onto the free Mall Trolley. It runs every few minutes along the mile-long pedestrian mall. It was a fast-forward kind of way to see the shops and people of Denver. We rode to the end to visit the redone vintage Union Station.

Interior of restored Union Station, Denver, Colorado

Then we hopped another trolley to take us back to the Convention Center. It’s near our next destination, the History Colorado Museum, which opens at 10 a.m. Being fans of craft beer, we were intrigued by the current exhibit, Beer Here!, sponsored by Coors. (No surprise there.)

History Colorado Museum is Senior and Children Friendly with interactive exhibits and places to sit and regroup.

In addition to the Prohibition, saloon and beer artifacts of “Beer Here!”, we also enjoyed the other well-displayed and informative exhibits. Many were interactive and would appeal to young visitors. “Written on the Land, Ute Voices, Ute History” showcased the Ute Tribe, made up of bands (sort of like clans) who had lived in the Colorado area. Looping video accompanied a variety of artifacts, especially baskets and beaded work and authentic feathered head dresses/bonnets of the type seen in TV and film Westerns. It was amazing to see them close up.

The influx of white men started as a trickle of fur trappers and traders in the early 1800’s and turned into more of a flood with the discovery of silver and especially gold in the mid-1850’s. Farmers and ranchers looking for land also led to conflicts and forced relocation. The story of the Ute people and how they have adapted and worked to preserve their language and culture is presented through the perspective and voices of today’s Ute people. The exhibit was moving as well as eye-opening.

History Colorado is actually a network of 7 museums. If we had more time, we would have sought out some of the ones outside of Denver.

Senior Discounts and accessibility

The Senior Discount was $2 off the admission. If you become a member, the discount gets much better. Membership includes a guest pass and an adult ticket for the Georgetown Loop Railroad. A Senior Dual membership is, of this writing, only $10 more than a single and includes two memberships, two guest passes and two tickets for the railroad. And you get entry to all of the seven museums with your membership. They also offer a Grandparent pass which includes children’s passes.

Wheelchairs are available on a first come, first served basis at the Admissions Desk. Vehicles with a disability pass or plate may park for up to four hours at a metered spot on the street. Doors, elevators, and restrooms are all accessible. Closed captioning is offered at all the exhibits and service animals are allowed.

We wrapped up our wandering through the History Colorado Center as it approached the time for our tour of the U.S. Mint in Denver. The Center was very clean with a newer style of displaying artifacts. It was uncrowded and accessible with plenty of elevators, benches, and restrooms.

It was an easy walk from the History Colorado Center to the Mint. We did have to be aware of people riding electric scooters. We took a moment to study one and determine how to pay and use one. Some were left in very unsafe places, including half on and half off of a curb. Hopefully this will change as people and cities that have them adapt safe habits and regulations.

Touring the U.S. Mint in Denver

As we approached the entrance to the Mint, we saw that the directions on the website and on the tickets meant business. When it says, be there 30 minutes early, believe it. And absolutely no purses or bags or cameras. No exceptions. People were running back to their cars with them. And those without tickets were turned away.

Arrive 30 minutes before your tour

We were there about 35 minutes early and dozens of people were already in line. We noticed that they had trays and realized that the Mint employees had stacks near the entrance so we took one. You have to put everything that’s in your pockets onto the tray and you and the tray get screened by a metal detector. Cell phones must be turned off.

The line going inside moved rather quickly and the guards were welcoming while efficient. Once inside, there is a waiting area with exhibits and displays about currency since Ancient Times. There are some benches for those who may need to sit. We were escorted by a small team of guards and docents to the upper level and throughout the tour. At one point they handed out a shrink-wrapped packet of a newly minted penny along with a blank. A sort of “before and after” souvenir.

An unhurried guided tour with time to observe the operations and exhibits

The docents would give brief talks at different parts of the tour, and then give us a little time to look at the exhibits and down at the equipment being used to mint coins. There are strategically placed benches for those who need to rest their legs. One thing that was surprising is that the Mint makes coins for other countries, not just the United States.

On the final leg of the tour, the friendly and personable guides led us through the oldest part of the building, which has a totally different feel to it. It retains much of its original woodwork and doors. As we approached the exit, we saw lovely period stained glass light shades and well cared for murals.

Tour or No Tour, the Mint Gift Shop is worth a stop

If you aren’t able to get a ticket for a tour, the gift shop in the building has a video which gives a good overview about the Mint. The gift shop also gives a respite if you need to cool off as well as having a good stock of fun gifts and mementos.

As we headed back to our car, we stopped at a friendly street vendor for a bottle of water. It was reasonable priced, as we found elsewhere in the city. We couldn’t take any photos in the Mint, but couldn’t resist taking a photo of this coffee vendor.

Only in Denver, VW coffee vendor — Probably the most unusual street vendor ever, dispensing coffee out of a VW Bug on the streets of Denver.

A note about getting around Denver

A note about Denver: We found the people friendly and helpful, parking lots plentiful, and it was overall easy to get around. The free trolley along the pedestrian mall was easy to hop on and off, and very much appreciated on the hot day. We wouldn’t have seen as much had we kept to walking as it was getting prohibitively hot. Plus I had a mild sprain on one ankle and appreciated being able to sit in between our jumping on and off one. In addition to scooters, Denver is a bike friendly city, so watch out for those as well, whether walking or driving.

If you are a bicyclist, Denver welcomes you with bike lanes, trails, lockers, bike share, and easy transit. Here’s a link for you: BikeDenver.

July 29, 2019 0 comment

Overlooking Denver from Lookout Mountain

Museums New experience Travel in the United States U.S. History

Purple Mountains Majesties* part one

by Deb C June 14, 2019

First in a series of posts about traveling in Colorado & Wyoming.

Destination Wedding in Boulder, Colorado becomes a vacation

One thing that happens when you’re an empty nester and beyond is that wedding invitations come in for the offspring of your siblings, cousins, other family connections, as well as those of friends old and newer.

Often there is travel involved, especially with the destination wedding trend.

And so it was that we received an invitation to a wedding in Colorado. A young cousin from New England, where we live, was marrying a lovely young lady from Montana. They had met at work in Boston and relocated to Boulder as she decided to change careers and pursue a masters in education in Colorado and launch her teaching career there. He arranged with his employer to telecommute.

All went well with their plans. They made the leap to solidify their commitment by getting engaged. We are friendly with his parents. Having intermittently watched the groom grow up alongside our children, we were on-board to attend.

Planning our trip

We decided to plan a vacation around the Welcome Party and Wedding days. We ordered visitors guides on Colorado.com. Using the guides and guide books borrowed from our local library, we plotted out a before and after the wedding itinerary.

Booking the flight came first, then the hotels, four in all, chosen by location and rewards.

The last hotel is close to the airport. This was so we could drop off the rental car early and use the hotel shuttle lessening the time and stress of airline check-in.

If you have ever been to the Denver International Airport, you will know that the rental car area is a distance from it, then you have to take a train to transport you to the terminals.

We didn’t have pre-check so we had to go through the regular screening/scanning process and the lines are long.

We landed in Denver mid-day and after picking up our rental car, proceeded to Downtown Denver in hopes of getting a ticket for a tour of the Denver Mint. This was one of our really-hope-to-see places. Unfortunately for us, there were no tickets left. They are first come, first serve, and as we learned, go quickly.

Walk-able Denver

Next on the list was the (Unsinkable) Molly Brown house, maybe a 15 minute walk. Along the way, a friendly gentleman, seeing us getting our bearings, offered to walk with us a ways as he was going in the same direction.

Like a tour guide, he pointed out, with pride, some other places close by that were on our list: The History Colorado Museum, The Capital with the steps marked to indicate where they were a mile above sea level, and the Denver Library, where he volunteers.

About Margaret “Molly” Brown

Margaret “Molly” Brown’s life was one of activism, philanthropy and passion. You might remember her as a heroine who took charge of a Titanic lifeboat. Early on in her life, she helped the homeless. When she and her husband became wealthy, she joined social reformers, embarked on larger scale philanthropy and even ran for office. She developed a passion for travel and brought home many souvenirs. Some are in her house.

When disaster struck, Molly offered money and her homes. She consoled the poor women who lost their husbands and everything they owned on the Titanic and took up a collection for them. Molly also supported the suffrage movement, and along with that rights for all. She received the French Legion of Honor for her World War 1 relief efforts.

If you visit the Brown’s house, you will learn all this and more about a remarkable woman who stepped into the 20th Century with gusto and a big heart.

The Molly Brown House: Historic Preservation in the midst of Urban Development

Entrance to Molly Brown House, Denver — Entrance to the Molly Brown House Museum, Denver, Colorado

You can see the Molly Brown House by tour only. Luckily, we caught the last tour of the day. We saved $2 per ticket with the Senior (65+) Discount. There’s a gift shop in the former carriage house around the back of the house. In the lower part of the house there’s a small exhibit and video about mining in Colorado, Denver, Molly, and her husband, mining entrepreneur, J.J. Brown. You buy your tickets in the gift shop and the clerks direct you to the exhibit entrance.

Originally, occupants could enjoy the mountains from the front and upper porches and front bedrooms. Unfortunately, modern buildings now block much of the view.

The house has an interesting history of occupants and owners before and after the Browns. The newel posts, stained glass windows, polar bear rug, and the dining room ceiling are especially striking. The furnishings include some of the Brown’s original items, as well as period clothing displays.

Be aware that only the first floor and basement exhibit and video area are available by lift. You have to climb stairs to the second and third floors.

Some furnishings in the
Molly Brown House Museum

Closing out the Day

We walked back to our car detouring to the State Capital Steps. Our friendly “guide” had pointed out that Denver being the “mile-high city” has a marker on the capital’s steps so we went to check it out. Actually, there are three markers due to geographic changes and more accurate measurements. We then walked through a lovely park that was just below the Capital.

We returned to our hotel, which was in Westminster, just outside of Denver, to freshen up. Nearby we found the Sanitas Brewery in Boulder. The beer and the tacos from the food truck were just right. We enjoyed them on the outdoor patio as we contemplated the mountains in the distance.

*Colorado an inspiration for America the Beautiful

Katherine Lee Bates, a professor at Wellesley College in the 1890’s, took a train trip to Colorado Springs in order to teach a summer class at Colorado College. Her trip out west inspired her to write poetry, which evolved into the lyrics of America, the Beautiful. Check this link for more information.

June 14, 2019 0 comment