Whistle Stop Park may live up to historic name

Do you like Rock & Rails? Have you ever ridden the Winter Park Ski Train? A summer version of that train may be coming to Niwot on Thursday evenings for our town's summer concert series.

The word is out on Rock & Rails, and Denver music lovers are tuned in. At the moment, plans are still a bit up in the air, but the SBNF (Simply Beautiful Niwot Fun) rail plan is in the works, and it has the NACC's (Niwot Activity Community Club) basic approval.

"The plan works on so many levels." one NACC member, who wished not to be identified, said. "We have the tracks that run right by the concert, and the name Whistle Stop Park fits this perfectly.

For those of you who don't know, the whistle stop in Whistle Stop Park has actual historic precedence. Before the automobile and jet age, politicians crisscrossed the country by train. They would make short stops, called whistle stops, in small towns where the politician would give a riveting speech from the back of the train. The event usually brought out all sorts of town-folk, complete with patriotic bunting and the local band.

The SBNF railroad is taking a leaf out of that playbook and adding a bit of the Winter Park Ski train to it. This time the railroad is getting smart and accommodating music lovers, as opposed to aggravating potential commuters on the proverbially taxing Northwest Rail Line that was supposed to be our community's answer to Fastrak.

Long time residents will remember how we were sold a pig-in-a-poke on light rail, that turned into commuter trains that turned into paying a tax for which we get no benefit. But I digress.

The plan is simple. Like the ski train, commuter cars will be added to the end of the 6:15 p.m. freight train. Since the tracks are next to the gazebo, the train will make a whistle stop and drop people off. As part of the deal, no alcohol will be served on the train so that our great local beer will be tasted by Denverites.

Town leaders have developed a brilliant plan for unloading and then reloading passengers goes from the train, with no additional infrastructure cost. They will simply move the small boxcar, which currently resided between the Whistle Stop Park sign and the caboose, to the door of the railroad passenger car. While the first step is a doozy, the rest is easy.

All attendees will need to conform to standard Rock & Rails procedures, such as no outside alcohol, no animals (this includes all rats and pigs in prams) as well as no dogs, cats and livestock. Local police said they have no problem with several hundred extra people attending, if they all donate to the tip jar.

While plans are preliminary and it is doubtful that the train will be running on the first concert date, neither the SBNF Railroad, the NACC, nor the police see any problem with this. Hopefully all will be working smoothly by July 4th.

After all, it's not Fastraks.