McFarland to speak on Old Town’s railroads Feb. 28

Mel McFarland, the Westside's authority on historic railroads, will give an hour-long talk on Old Colorado City's four rail lines Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. ABOVE: Midland railroad workers outside the roundhouse about 1910. BELOW: The roundhouse in 1949, after the closure. The roundhouse “turntable” is in the foreground. No one knows for sure where it went. Courtesy of Mel McFarland        The Old Colorado City History Center, 1 S. 24th St., will be the location for “The Trains of Colorado City: A Look at the Railroad Activity from 1881 until 2000.”        Featuring projections of old photographs (some that have not been shown before), the presentation will be free and open to the public, although donations are welcome.        The main scope of his talk will be the era from about 1890 to 1920, which McFarland terms the “heyday” of railroading in this area. Four railroads had operations here during at least part of that time - the Denver and Rio Grande, the Colorado Midland, the Midland Terminal and the Short Line.        In addition to having written several books about area railroads, McFarland often touches on the subject in his weekly column in the Westside Pioneer.        The History Center is owned and operated by the non-profit Old Colorado City Historical Society (OCCHS). For more information, call 636-1225. Westside Pioneer/press release