Platte Valley Trolley
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The last remaining vestige of Denver's once extensive electric interurban railroad, the Platte Valley Trolley was restored and preserved by the Denver Heritage Rail Society, and is listed on the State Register of Historic Properties. The 1911-built Car No. 25 from Route 84 was rescued from destruction by the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, and now serves as the Platte Valley Trolley, which makes stops at REI at the old Tramway powerhouse, Downtown Aquarium Denver, the Children's Museum of Denver, Sports Authority Filed at Mile High Stadium, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, and connects with the Regional Transportation District's bus and light rail. Along the route are Confluence Park, Elitch Gardens amusement and water park, and downtown Denver [1].
Images
Platte Valley Trolley (image from Uncover Colorado)
Trolley stop (image from DenverTrolley.org)
Trolley interior (image from DenverTrolley.org)
1906 Denver Tramway sightseeing tour at the Brown Palace Hotel (image from Colorado Railroad Museum)
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
During its heyday, Denver's trolley system comprised more
than 250 miles of city tracks and 40 miles of high-speed tracks connecting
Denver with Golden and Boulder, with over 250 cars in service. Of those cars,
only No. 25 remains. Built by Woeber Carriage Company in 1911, it was used
until trolley service in Denver ended in 1950; it is now the property of West
Corridor Rail Historical Cooperative, a partnership between the Denver Heritage
Rail Society and the City of Lakewood, and is listed on the State Register of
Historic Properties. Route 84, on which Car No. 25 originally served, is now
the West Corridor light rail to Lakewood and Golden [1]. Now known as the
Platte Valley Trolley (in operation since 1989), Car No. 25 makes stops at REI
at the old Tramway powerhouse, Downtown Aquarium Denver, the Children's Museum of Denver, Sports Authority Field at Mile
High Stadium, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame,
and connects with the Regional Transportation District's bus and light rail.
Along the one-mile route paralleling the Platte River are Confluence Park,
Elitch Gardens amusement and water park, and downtown Denver. The conductors
act as tour guides along the 30-minute, round-trip ride, and the trolley makes
special runs during Broncos games and free nights at the Children's Museum [1;
2].
Sources
1. Denver Tramway Heritage Society. "Platte Valley Trolley." Accessed June 21, 2016. http://www.denvertrolley.org/
2. Vaccarelli, Joe. "Platte Valley Trolley Back for 27th Year in Denver." Denver Post. June 9, 2015. Accessed June 21, 2016. http://www.denverpost.com/2015/06/09/platte-valley-trolley-back-for-27th-year-in-denver/