HISTORY OF THE TRAIN CARS
Since the late 1970’s, our three historic train cars have called Nederland home. Each car is over a century old and has a unique story to tell.
The Pullman Car
The Pullman Coach was built for the Colorado and Southern Railroad in 1906 and ran exclusively in the region as car number 544 until its retirement. It was one of the last plush wooden coaches and served as a dining car. Although it started out with a wooden undercarriage, it was outfitted with steel in 1922. Its last official ride was the Denver to Louisville route in 1970, when it was retired. For a while the car sat near Highway 36 as part of a larger property, and was moved to Nederland in 1975.
The Sells-Floto Circus Car
The Circus Car was originally a railway post office car in 1872 by the Union Pacific Railroad and traveled on the Union Pacific Denver and Gulf Railroad. It is one of the oldest standard gauge cars from that time, and was never reconfigured with steel. Sells-Floto acquired the car to replace one, which was accidentally burnt during a repainting. This Car then became an advance-advertising car for the circus, which would arrive in towns a few days before the circus, covered with signs promoting Sells-Floto. Jimmy Keith found and purchased the Circus Car in Wiggins, Colorado. Much of the original painting is still intact on the exterior of the car.
The Circus
Frederick Bonfils and Harry Tammen, who also owned the Denver Post, owned the Sells-Floto Circus. The name "Floto" came from Otto Floto, who was a sports editor for the Post and whose name inspired Harry Tammen. During 1914 and 1915 the Circus starred "Buffalo" Bill Cody as its main attraction, performing the "re- creations" of the Old West for which he had become so famous. Later stars of the Sells-Floto Circus included Tom Mix and Tony the Wonder Horse. The circus became a part of a group of traveling road shows purchased by the Ringling Brothers group in 1929.
The Caboose
The caboose was built in 1910 for the Colorado & Southern, originally car number 242. It featured, during its time of operation, sleeping bunks for 8 men, a stove and coal box, lockers, a desk and a cooler. It is among the final cabooses to feature an all-wooden curved ceiling, later models had flat ceilings. In 1965, it became a victim of the devastating South Platte Flood, when rushing water submerged much of Littleton and Denver. It was retired shortly thereafter, and taken to the town of Wall Street, Colorado before it was moved to Nederland.
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Historical articles
COLORFUL CIRCUS CARS SIDETRACKED IN NEDERLAND
The Mountain-Ear, Volume 10, Number 41,
July 23, 1987
TRAIN CARS OFFERED TO SCHOOL, CHAMBER
The Mountain-Ear, Volume 11, Number 17,
February 4, 1988
BOXCAR TENANT OPENS SHOP
The Mountain-Ear, Volume 11, Number 50,
September 22, 1988