Yesterday’s Fire, Today’s New Cases, and Cool Events Tomorrow

*Yesterday’s fire at Coors – Photos by Chris Davell – Click to enlarge*

Month-End Appeal

Many thanks to the people who sponsored this email for the month of July. If you find this valuable, interesting, or fun, please consider sponsoring us for the month of August. Click here to find out how.

Public Health References
CDC * Colorado * Jefferson County * City of Golden

JCPHD updates these numbers Monday through Friday at about 3 PM. Here’s the most recent Coronavirus report from Jeffco Public Health’s Case Summary Page:

Jefferson County mask rule: masks must be worn both indoors and outdoors in public spaces where 6 feet distance cannot be maintained. This matches Golden’s requirement. The rest of the state requires masks only indoors. The Safer at Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors protocol is in effect statewide. City and County fire restrictions are in place.

Virtual Golden

*Live Stream from Foothills Art Center tonight from 6-7PM*

6:30-7:25AM Virtual HIIT
9-10AM Virtual Power Training
6-7PM Live Stream from Foothills Art Center – Dylan Streight and Kaitlyn Williams

Real Life Golden

1PM Train Rides and the Friday Tour (Cabooses) at the Railroad Museum

6PM Live Music:Cross Fire at Wrigley’s

Preview of Saturday Events

There are a lot of events scheduled for tomorrow, which I’ll detail in tomorrow’s email, but I want to give you a special heads-up about three unique events.

9AM-1PM Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Garage Sale
This event happens only once a year. If you are a quilter or crafter, you don’t want to miss this Garage Sale! Expect to find fabric, quilting accessories and kits, quilts and quilt tops, and more.

They will be set up outdoors, practice social distancing, and have one-way traffic patterns. Face masks are mandatory. No Early Birds!

The Gallery, Gift Shop and Library will be closed tomorrow, as will the restrooms. The sale will be held in the parking lot.

10AM-4PM Rio Grande Southern No. 20: RETURN TO STEAM! at the Colorado Railroad Museum – Check out Bill Robie‘s write-up below.

COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM #20

*No. 20 Emerging from the Roundhouse – Click to enlarge*

Last Wednesday, the roundhouse crew at the Colorado Railroad Museum took newly rebuilt steam locomotive #20 out on the track oval for a “test drive”. By late afternoon, everything seemed to be going just fine. The locomotive recently underwent a 15-year restoration effort that eventually consumed about $1.5 million and thousands of man-hours as significant repairs became evident as work gradually progressed. #20 had previously been on cosmetic display as a non-operating locomotive and no one ever thought it would ever run again. The major restoration work was done at a specialized steam locomotive repair shop in Pennsylvania, but expert paid staff and volunteers lovingly completed all of the final assembly work and painting at the Museum’s roundhouse. Many generous grants and donations helped to return the locomotive to operating condition, including many from Golden residents.

*No. 20 on the Museum’s Turntable – Click to enlarge*

20 was built in 1899 for the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad. It was sold to the Rio Grande Southern Railroad in 1916 to run on that famous line between Durango and Ridgeway. The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club saved the locomotive in 1952 and it has resided at the Museum ever since, except for the trip to Pennsylvania.

*No. 20 out for a spin at the Railroad Museum – Click to enlarge*

20 will make its first public appearances in operation at the Museum over the weekend of August 1 – 2. A ribbon breaking ceremony will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday. Rides will be available both days but due to a large anticipated turnout, train ride tickets should be purchased in advance through the Museum’s website www.coloradorailroadmuseum.org or call 303-279-4591. Even if you don’t ride, come on out to see it!

The Museum is excited to finally have #20 operating and to join the other two operating steam locomotives #346 and #491. Both of these locomotives have entertained Goldenites, and visitors from around the world, for many years with their exhilarating sights, sounds, and smells. Now, #20 will join the action.

7:30PM Miners Alley Playhouse Quarantine Cabaret Series: An Evening with Rory Pierce with David Nehls on Piano.

In recent years, we’ve seen Rory at Miners Alley in Fun Home, Lost in Yonkers, You Can’t Take it With You, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and other plays. Before that, Rory was a long-time member of the ensemble cast at the Heritage Square Music Hall. (Remember the It’s Too Loud! shows they did for several years?) This should be a great show! Learn more and buy tickets here….

Golden History Moment

*Rubey Bank Building – 1870s, 1901, and 2016 – Top two photos are from the Dan Abbott Collection – Click to enlarge*

The northern part of 1201 Washington Avenue was built in 1873 as a bank. In 1901, the owners enlarged the building by adding on to the south end and tied it together by adding a common facade. They did a good job, didn’t they? It’s hard to tell that it was built at two different times.

The wooden canopy was added to shade the sidewalk in 1969. The merchants all along Washington were building canopies at the time, in an effort to give downtown a more unified look and feel, and try to give it the feel of a shopping mall.