The goal of the builders was to create a five inch scale replica of a Colorado narrow gauge railroad. It was built to be authentic, not a ‘toy railroad’ or even an amusement park railroad. For instance, the water tank and the ticket booth were built to resemble typical structures on Colorado railroads, and were painted “Marshall Yellow,” a color chosen from paint samples found in the archives of the Colorado Railroad Museum. Marshall Yellow was taken from the color of a water tank located at Pando near Tennessee Pass.

The railcars themselves (as seen to the right) have authentic railroad brakes, couplers, and wheel trucks. Our motive power has varied over the years, from a steam powered K-27 to a gasoline/hydraulic switch engine, modeled after Denver & Rio Grande Western’s famous narrow gauge number 50. The actual switcher is at the Colorado Railroad Museum, only a few miles from here.

The route of the Rio Golden Railroad is 4/5 of a mile, and travels over a 110 foot trestle, passing over the entrance to Heritage Square, almost twenty feet below. We believe a trip on the Rio Golden is well worth your time.