Colorado Rails & Cocktails: Ticket to Tomahawk

Join us for an evening at the movies! We’ll be showing “Ticket to Tomahawk,” a classic Western film released in 1950 that stars Rio Grande Southern locomotive 20 and its wooden twin (yes, you read that correctly!) as “Emma Sweeny.” This is a must-see movie for fans of this famous “Ten Wheeler,” and it was filmed along the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Silverton branch for added appeal.

The movie co-stars Dan Daily and Anne Baxter, and Marilyn Monroe appears (uncredited) in her first on-screen performance, too! A quick “what to look for” will be included before screening, and at the conclusion of the movie, a brief presentation will then follow up to take a look at some of the salient aspects of the “movie stars” with a focus on the two locomotives.

Our presenter this evening will be George Niederauer, former president of the Durango Railroad Historical Society. George has spent years researching No. 20’s role in this movie, and in particular, he was a key part of the project that brought the wooden replica of “Emma Sweeny” back to Colorado and restored this unique replica to its former glory. Note: Tonight’s program will be a little longer than usual, since the movie runs approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, and we anticipate another 30 minutes for the accompanying presentation and Q&A.

Admission: $20. 21 and older only. Advanced tickets required.