Lindsey and Rosa Ashby, the operators of the Georgetown Loop narrow gauge railroad out of Georgetown, Colo., from the 1980s through 2004, have decided to sell part of their collection and offer other pieces of rolling stock for lease.
Locomotives for sale include two Westside Lumber Co. Shays, Nos. 8 and 12, and General Electric 44-ton diesel No. 15 that is on lease to the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. About 42 pieces of rolling stock, including gondolas, observation cars, flatcars, and cabooses are for sale.
Staying in the collection but available for lease are two Baldwin 2-8-0s that once ran in South America, West Side Lumber Co. Shay No. 14, Rio Grande Southern caboose 0400, and boxcars and flatcars. Two 54-ton diesels, Nos. 130 and 140 as well as coach Tahoe, will stay at Colorado Railroad Museum.
“Each piece of equipment has a story and much emotional involvement,” Lindsey Ashby said. “Out first Shay was purchased on time payment with the monthly proceeds of Rosa’s check as a teacher. I worked as a petroleum engineer and took a leave of absence to put our first railroad at Central City together.
“When leaving the Georgetown Loop at the end of our contract period, we had hoped to find a place to operate the equipment,” he added. “The Colorado Railroad Museum was kind enough to let us store the bulk of it on their grounds. The Tahoe car, rider cars, along with the pair of diesels and steam locomotives, which we are keeping, have been used for steam ups and the annual Thomas-the-Tank events. Although the museum can now get along without them, they represent a part of life that we are not ready to part with.”
The Ashby family continues to operate the standard gauge Royal Gorge Route tourist railroad in Canon City. Most of the narrow gauge equipment is stored at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden while the balance of the collection is at Canon City.
