Colorado Railroad Museum

The Colorado Railroad Museum, established in 1959, is a non-profit dedicated to preserving Colorado's railroad history, particularly its narrow-gauge mountain railroads. Located on 15 acres in Golden, Colorado, near Clear Creek between North and South Table Mountains, the museum features a replica 1880s railroad depot with exhibits including original photographs, paintings, locomotive models, and a reconstructed telegrapher's office.

The museum's lower level houses seasonal displays, a model train layout by the Denver HO Model Railroad Club, and the Robert W. Richardson Library, which contains over 10,000 rare historic photographs and other railroad documents. Outside, the museum showcases its large collection of narrow-gauge rolling stock, including steam locomotives, diesel engines, passenger cars, and special equipment like cog and Shay locomotives.

Notable pieces include the only surviving standard-gauge steam locomotive from the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, No. 683, and a rare three-way stub switch on its display tracks. The museum hosts "Steam Up" days, offering train rides on its 1⁄3-mile oval of 3 ft gauge track. Its collection spans various railroad eras and includes unique pieces such as snowplows and the historic "Galloping Goose" cars from the Rio Grande Southern Railroad.