Over the Georgetown Loop

Subtitled "A History of the Georgetown, Breckenridge & Leadville Railway", this was to be an extension of the 3ft gauge Colorado Central from Denver, up Clear Creek to Georgetown. The line reached Silver Plume a distance of 4.1 miles, but to overcome the elevation difference between the two townships of over 600ft, a very early example of a loop was built in the narrow valley. This involved 4.6 miles of track, two hairpin turns and a spindly .viaduct where the line looped 100 feet over itself.

Opened in 1883 and closed in 1938, for much of this time, the Loop was a major tourist attraction, and also was crossed by many trains carrying the output from the mines operation alongside its route. The whole line, including the bridge, was reopened in 1974.

 192 beautifully laid out and presented pages on heavyweight paper. A vast number of reproductions of plate-glass B&W photographs of the line, the mountains, the towns and, of course, the Loop and its viaduct. In quality terms this is comparable to the volumes on Colorado's railroads at the end of the 20th century.

Distinctly pricey, but worth it!