the refurbished Denver Union Station

This underwent a major restoration in 2012 which was completed in time for the centenary of the present building in 2014.

Much development around it has also taken place, some is still in progress.

See earlier posts and the wikipedia article

Louis Unser winning the Pike's Peak mountain car race, Colorado, 1934

In fact he won it 8 more time between then and 1953. Louis Unser (1896–1979) was an American auto racer and was the first of the Unser family of racers. See earlier posts.

big UFO ornament

Seen on the wall of a pizzeria in Canon City, Colorado.

the oldest operating steam locomotive in Colorado

In the roundhouse of the Colorado Railroad Museum is 3ft gauge number 346, built by Baldwin in 1881 and ran for the D&RG until 1947. While on loan to the Colorado & Southern in 1936 it was wrecked in a runaway on Kenosha Pass and was rebuilt by Chicago Burlington & Quincy's Denver shops. Purchased in 1950 by Museum founder Bob Richardson, No. 346 is the Museum’s premiere operating engine and runs regularly during steam-ups.

As for locomotive number 491 on the left, this is the largest operating narrow gauge steam locomotive in the western hemisphere, and is a true “Colorado original” having been built entirely in Colorado during the spring of 1928 through a cooperative effort between the Stearns-Roger Manufacturing Company of Denver and the D&RGW Denver Burnham Shops. It ran for the D&RGW until 1963 when it was donated to the Colorado Historical Society (now History Colorado) and placed on display at the Museum on loan in 1985. Locomotive no. 491 was donated by History Colorado to the Museum in June 2013 and was returned to service in August 2014.

cute caboose

of the one-time D&RG 3ft gauge system at the Colorado Railroad Museum.

1956 De Soto Kew promo

preserved 1950s Rio Grande passenger equipment at the Colorado Railroad Museum

As was used on the Ski Train, for example.  See earlier posts.

the Gotthard base rail tunnel, Switzerland, opens

The world's longest and deepest rail tunnel has officially opened in Switzerland, after almost two decades of construction work.

The 57 km (35-mile) twin-bore Gotthard base tunnel will provide a high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe.

Switzerland says it will revolutionise European freight transport.

Goods currently carried on the route by a million trucks a year will go by train instead.

The tunnel has overtaken Japan's 53.9 km Seikan rail tunnel as the longest in the world and pushed the 50.5 km Channel Tunnel linking the UK and France into third place.

full BBC article

The Gotthardbahn has been arguably Europe's most scenic railway route -- presumably the existing line over the mountains will be retained for passenger services to the towns served by it.

a Galloping Goose on the loose!

The last 8 days were spent by us on on the Trains magazine tour of Colorado preserved railroads and tourist lines, the reason for the lack of posts.

This pic shows one of the former 3ft gauge D&RGS 'Galloping Geese' (see earlier posts) now at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO.

More pics will be posted over the next weeks.

State Department issues warning about terrorist threats in Europe this summer

The U.S. State Department has warned travelers about paying extra alert to their surroundings in areas popular with tourists, including events such as Le Tour de France.

The standard advice: if you see something, say something.