Library and Collections
Built in 1997, the Robert W. Richardson Railroad Library is one of the most comprehensive railroad reference libraries in the United States. From timetables to employee records, photographs to engineering
The collections focus on railroads of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. The research library is open to visitors of the Museum. Patrons are also welcome to write, call, or email the Library at collections@crrm.org with questions or for further information.
LIBRARY HOURS:
TUESDAY-SATURDAY
11:00 AM – 3: 00 PM
Research Requests
Our research volunteers can answer general railroad questions for a small fee. In your request, please clearly define the information you would like us to look for (such as railroad company, event, date, or document).
Instructions for submitting a research request
- Make payment for a Research Request Fee in the Museum’s Online Depot General Store here.
- Download and complete the 2023 Research Request Form.
- Return your completed Research Request Form by email to ResearchVolunteer@crrm.org or by mail to:
Robert W. Richardson Library: Research
Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 W. 44th Avenue, Golden, CO, 80403
Payment is required before we can begin to research your request. Please note that we may not be able to answer your question, depending on the materials we have and the nature of your question.
Your research payment helps support the preservation and care of our library, archive, and artifact collections at the Colorado Railroad Museum.
Questions? If you have questions about your research request, please contact us at 720-274-5148 or email ResearchVolunteer@crrm.org. For technical questions concerning the online payment portal, please contact Online Store Support.
Research FAQs
When will I get the results? Requests are handled in the order they are received and can take anywhere between days to weeks depending on the size and specifics.
Can I publish the results of the research? If you would like to publish a reproduction of an item in our collections, please see our Reproduction Use Agreement.
Do you have information on my relative who worked on the railroad? You are welcome to contact us to look for your relative(s), but be advised that we have few employee records and no employee photographs. Please check this document Railway Employee Records for Colorado for your relative’s name.
A) If you find your relative’s name and a box number, then please submit a research request and payment (instructions above).
B) If your relative is not in the list, the likelihood that we have something about them is very low.
We recommend checking other genealogical institutions.
Fee Schedule and Use Agreement
Please review our Reproduction Use Agreement and Fee Schedule for information about using our materials in publications, exhibits, websites, etc. Fees are subject to change without notice.
Library & Artifact Collections
We have one of the largest collections of Colorado and Rocky Mountain railroad artifacts, books, maps, mechanical drawings, archives, images, and audiovisual materials in the United States. Our Library is non-circulating, however we welcome patrons to visit and examine the materials on site any time during our public hours of Tuesday-Saturday, 11am to 3pm. For detailed research requests, please make an appointment by emailing our Director of Collections at collections@crrm.org.
Donations to the Collection
Update: April 2023
We are asking prospective donors to schedule their donation drop-off between 11am-3pm Tuesdays-Fridays. Please email collections@crrm.org with any concerns or questions.
If you have something you believe to be very important to the mission of the museum (in bold face below) that you wish to donate, please contact our Director of Collections. If we determine that you have an item which will help fill a crucial gap in our collections, we may decide to accept it.
Since its inception in 1958, the Colorado Railroad Museum has been very fortunate to receive many generous donations which have made our collections what they are today. However, we have received so much material over the last several decades that our collection storage areas are overflowing.
Therefore, the Museum does not accept unsolicited donations through the mail or in-person. If a donation is accepted, a Curator will advise the donor on the most appropriate method to receive the gift. Depending on the collection, options include shipping or scheduling a time for delivery. Shipping collections to the Museum will be at the donor’s expense.
We thank you in advance for thinking of us as a recipient of your items, and we greatly appreciate your cooperation with this matter.
“The mission of the Colorado Railroad Museum is to preserve and convey the rich history of railroading in the Rocky Mountain region through acquisition, research, exhibition, and education.”
Monetary donations can be made through the Museum’s Online Depot General Store.
Publications
Since the 1960s, the Colorado Railroad Museum has published books about railroading; primarily Colorado railroad history. Shop online or visit the Museum Gift Shop to view and purchase our past publications.
Many of these works were published as part of our “Colorado Rail Annual” series, which originally contained compilations of short articles but more recently has become our venue for publishing single longer works.
If you are interested in submitting a work to be published, please review our Guidelines for Authors. If you have questions about submitting a work to be published, please email library@crrm.org.
