The violent storm that tore through Denver on Thursday flooded basements, stalled cars and even derailed one of the city’s smallest hidden treasures.
The Platte Valley & Western Model Railroad Club’s model train display, in the basement of Union Station, was damaged during the rainstorm and will be closed until the end of August, according to a news release from the club.
There were 3 to 4 inches of mud and water in the room at the peak of the storm, which began about 4 p.m. Thursday. Some of the command and control systems were destroyed as well as several display modules and scenery pieces located in a storage room.
The Platte Valley track, begun in 1980, is the newer of two layouts in the station basement. Colorado Midland, run by the Denver Society of Model Railroaders, has had its home in the basement since the 1930s.
The Midland layout is closed in the summer, and no damage report was available Saturday.
The Platte Valley train display is in a room that was once used as the jail at Union Station in the 1900s. Anyone interested in helping with the cleanup and repairs can e-mail the club at floodhelp@pvwrr.org.
Jordan Steffen, The Denver Post
