DRGW.NetCar 25 100th Birthday Celebration
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News Photos Car 25 100th Birthday Celebration

The original rail corridor from Denver to Golden via Lakewood was constructed in 1892 as the Denver, Lakewood & Golden. In 1909, it was sold to the Denver & Inter-Mountain Railway, and was shortly electrified. By 1914 it was merged into the unified Denver Tramway system. Electric passenger service ended in 1950, and electrified freight ended three years later. The line passed to the Associated Railroad after the Denver Tramway ceased rail operations, and was operated to the Federal Center over the years by the AT&SF, C&S, and D&RGW. Eventually, freight traffic ceased and the line lay dormant for several decades. In 2009, the route was resurrected as RTD's West Corridor, the first light rail expansion of RTD's FasTracks program.



Car 25 was built in 1911 for the Denver & Inter-Mountain Railway, an electric interurban running between Denver and Golden. Eventually merged into the Denver Tramway, Car 25 continued to run Route 84 until 1950. Most of the Denver Tramway system was cape gauge (3'6"), and thus the standard gauge D&IM cars stayed on their home rails. When trolley operations ceased in 1950, the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club stepped in to save the car. Today it exists as the sole surviving example of Denver's trolleys.



Thirteen years ago, Club members started restoring Car 25. With the investment of tens of thousands of dollars and volunteer hours, the car was restored to full functionality and its original green 1911 appearance.



In 2010, the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club sold D&IM 25 to a nonprofit partnership between the City of Lakewood and the Denver Heritage Rail Society (operators of the Platte Valley Trolley), known as the West Corridor Rail Historical Cooperative. The intention is provide for the ongoing care and exhibition of Car 25 along its original rails, with the possibility of rails to operate on sometime in the future. The current focus of the WCHRC is to raise funds for the ongoing preservation of Car 25 and for its new home, the Oak Street Transit Museum and Restoration Center.



The Oak Street Transit Museum and Restoration Center will be colocated with RTD's West Corridor Oak Street Station in Lakewood. It will consist of two main areas - one bay for electric transit-related restoration and maintenace work and a large two story area for exhibiting Car 25 and other historic transit artifacts. In a later phase of the project, as the neighborhood is developed, plans include a track loop with overhead wire, running from the car barn up to Colfax and back to the west. Also, plans include switches into the RTD West Corridor main, so that the car can be moved between the Lakewood facility and the Platte Valley Trolley route.



On February 19, the West Corridor Rail Historical Cooperative hosted an event in the Lakewood Civic Center to honor the volunteers who saved and rebuilt Car 25. In addition to recognition, the event also included the public unveiling of the Oak Street Museum plans and a kick-off for fundraising.



The new structure has an estimated cost of $1.8M. Of that, $42k has been spent already on planning and engineering work. The WCHRC's goal is to raise $500k by the end of the year and the full amount by 2013, so that the Oak Street facility can open in conjunction with the West Corridor.



To that end, the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club has put forth a matching grant. In honor of Car 25's 100th birthday, they'll match up to $25k of donations for the next 100 days. (That means the deadline is 30 May 2011.) If you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation to move the project forward, see the donation form at the bottom of the pictures.

Date: 03 Mar 2011
Size: 24 items
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Welcome to Car 25's 100th birthday party
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Marian Metsopoulos, from the Lakewood Historical Society, presents Lakewood councilman Ed Peterson a plaque recognizing Car 25's historic significance to the city.
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Dave Schaaf, president of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, announces the club's $25k matching grant to kick off fundraising for Car 25's new home.
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Various guests talk near the entrance tables
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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An overhead view of the festivities. The model, yet to be unveiled, is under the black cloth on the table.
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Front row, left to right - Bruce Vincent, West Corridor Rail Historical Cooperative board member; Michelle Nierling, WCRHC Director of Operations; Roger Wadnal, WCHRC board member. Back row, left to right - Dave Schaaf, RMRRC president; Ed Peterson, Lakew ...
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Another view of the previous group, along one one of the two cakes made for Car 25.
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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One of the guests looks through historic photos of Car 25 in service, next to the car's headlight and bell.
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Unveiling the model for the planned Oak Street station, museum, and car shop. From left to right: Tom Peyton, Joe Priselac, Darrell Arndt, Les Nelson, and Jim Hurt - some of the volunteers with hundreds or thousands of hours invested in Car 25's restorati ...
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Darrell and Les look over the model of the new facility
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Dave Schaaf of the RMRRC/RMRRF and Michelle Nierling of the WCHRC
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Looking north/northwest across the model. Oak Street can be seen running in front of the building, with a new street accessing the parking and planned residential areas on the back side.
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Another view of the model, looking north down Oak Street. Note the tracks - in its final form, the development is planned to include tracks running in a loop up to Colfax for Car 25 to operate on.
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Looking northeast.
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Looking west at the model. The left bay will be for restoration and maintenance work. The two-story center section will exhibit Car 25 and other historic Lakewood artifacts.
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Looking east down the model
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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And the real Oak Street site along the West Corridor, as seen Saturday morning. This is looking west.
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Looking northeast across the Oak Street grade crossing
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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And northwest across the tracks, at the lot that will eventually hold the new station and car museum structure.
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Looking east down the West Corridor from Oak Street.
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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Again looking west - note the station platform starting to take shape.
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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And another shot looking north, showing the new tracks and the Herzog track machine
Date: 02 Feb 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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The West Corridor Historical Rail Cooperative donation form. Remember, everything donated between now and 30 May 2011, up to $25k, will be matched one for one by the Rocky Club.
Date: 03 Mar 2011
Owner: ND Holmes
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