Georgetown Loop Railroad

The Georgetown Loop segment was originally built by the Georgetown, Breckenridge and Leadville Railway and completed in 1884, after the parent company formed in 1881 under Union Pacific control. The Colorado and Southern Railway assumed ownership in 1893 and operated the line for passengers and freight until service ended in 1938; the track was dismantled the following year. Restoration efforts began in 1973, and the rebuilt 3‑mile segment opened to the public on March 10, 1984, as a heritage tourist railroad. A contract dispute in 2004 ended the long‑standing arrangement with the Colorado Historical Society, leading to a Railstar, Inc. management period that suffered severe equipment failures, notably the 2006 mishandling of Colorado and Southern Railway locomotive #9. In 2009 the Colorado Historical Society terminated the Railstar contract and awarded operations to Historic Rail Adventures LLC, which continues to run the Georgetown Loop today.