ALL ABOARD.......

by Pam North

It may have been years since you last experienced the fun of riding
the rails, or (even worse) perhaps you never have.  Now, for you or
your family members who have never had the pleasure of enjoying this
unique mode of transportation, a train ride doesn't have to be a long,
expensive journey to a faraway place; it can be a great daytrip, much
of which passes through our own local area.  Departing from Denver's
downtown Union Station at 8:00 on a weekend morning, it's a leisurely
56-mile trip of just over two hours to the mountain resort town of
Winter Park.  The route heads west through northwest Denver, and soon
sheds the trappings of civilization to travel generally parallel to
South Boulder Creek, presenting pristine views of rugged terrain that
can't be seen from the highway.  It climbs 4,000 feet through a series
of 28 tunnels, passes by Pinecliffe and Rollinsville, and culminates
in a 15-minute, 6.2-mile dark journey through the core of the
Continental Divide itself (via the famed Moffat Tunnel, the highest
railroad tunnel in the United States and the grandaddy of them all
where tunnels are concerned), before it finally stops less than a
hundred yards from the base of Winter Park's ski lifts.  A regular
shuttle conveniently transports visitors from the railroad terminal to
Winter Park to enjoy the shops and restaurants there before the Ski
Train departs again for the 2:30 p.m. return trip.

Seventeen rail cars comprise the Rio Grande Ski Train, fourteen of
which are passenger cars (nine for coach class, three club car class,
and two cafe/lounge cars.  Transporting 750 passengers allows it to
have the distinction of having the largest capacity of any scheduled
American passenger train, and it's also the country's
longest-operating ski train.  Its 1500-foot length translates into
one-quarter mile of smooth, pleasurable transportation.

The Ski Train has become a Denver tradition.  Begun in 1940, its
60-plus years of operation have introduced countless numbers of people
to the sport of skiing and the joys of a railroad trip.  In the 1950s
and 1960s, the Eskimo Ski Club members, aged 7 to 17, were the
predominant travelers on the train.  Through the years, the
1915-vintage railcars began to show the ravages of time and travel,
and by the 1980s ridership had declined; hard times had come to the
Ski Train.  In 1988 a Denver-based corporation, the Ansco Investment
Company, acquired the train when it was purchased by Ansco's parent
company, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.  Ansco Investment
Company promptly sold the aging railroad stock to what is now the Napa
Valley Wine Train, and rejuvenated the Ski Train with upgraded cars, a
computerized ticket system and the introduction of Club class and
luxury private car service.  The investment paid off.  Ski Train
ridership doubled the first year, and tripled the second.  The Ski
Train was awarded the Downtown Award of Honor for "this unique
fifty-year downtown mainstay and its vital linkage between the City
Center and Colorado mountains."

It's time to settle back into the comfortable seat of a railroad car
yourself, either again or for the first time.  Day trips are available
on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer.  Fares are $45 for
coach class, and $75 for Club Car (the latter includes Continental
breakfast in the morning and snacks in the afternoon.  For
reservations and further information, call (303) 296-4754, or access
www.skitrain.com on the internet.  The Ski Train operates throughout
the winter as well, leaving earlier in the morning and departing later
in the afternoon to accomodate a day of skiing.  Whatever the season,
the Ski Train is a great way to eliminate the hassle and stress of
driving, and to sit back and relax as picture-postcard scenery drifts
past your window.  It's guaranteed to make you a train-travel addict.