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 erin@crrm.org with questions or for further information.
LIBRARY HOURS:
TUESDAY-SATURDAY
11:00 AM – 3: 00 PM
Research Requests
The Colorado Railroad Museum welcomes and encourages use of its collections by scholars, students, and the public. Research requests are answered in the order they are received. Please allow three weeks for a reply. At least two weeks advanced notice is required for onsite research. Visits are conducted Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Research requests requiring under 30 minutes of staff time are complimentary. The first hour of research assistance for museum members is free followed by a charge of $20/hour. The fee for non-members is $30/hour. Staff has discretion over student rates. Payment for one hour’s worth of research is required at the time of the request. Additional charges may apply for copies and postage. We will make every attempt to assist you, but please be aware that paying for research does not guarantee we will be able to find the information requested. Use, distribution, and/or publication of reproductions requires written permission from Colorado Railroad Museum and may require a fee. The patron is responsible for compliance with copyright laws.
Instructions for submitting a research request
- Make payment for a Research Request Fee in the Museum’s Online Depot General Store.
- Download and complete the 2025 Research Request Form.
- Return your completed Research Request Form by email to ashley@crrm.org or by mail to:
Robert W. Richardson Library: Research
Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 W. 44th Avenue, Golden, CO, 80403
Your research payment helps support the preservation and care of our collections at the Colorado Railroad Museum.
Questions? If you have questions about your research request, please contact us at 720-274-5159 or email ashley@crrm.org. For technical questions concerning the online payment portal, please contact Online Store Support.
Research FAQs
When will I get the results?Research requests are answered in the order they are received. Please allow three weeks for a reply.
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 Collections Manager at ashley@crrm.org.
Donations to the Collection
Update: February 2025
We are asking prospective donors to schedule their donation drop-off between 11am-3pm Tuesdays-Fridays. Please email erin@crrm.org or ashley@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 erin@crrm.org.
Logistics
Availability
- Field trips are available by reservation Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
- Reservations are required at least two weeks prior to your planned visit.
Admission & Train Rides
The Museum requires one adult chaperone for every 5 students. Students must be accompanied by an adult chaperone at all times while on Museum property.
- Student Admission only: $4.00
- Student Admission + Train Ride: $6.00
- Chaperone Admission: Free
- Chaperone Admission + Train Ride: Free
