Sidebar by Kym O’Connell-Todd
Transportation History – July 1994 – Colorado Central Magazines.
Anyone who is interested in the restoration of the Alpine Tunnel and can offer the following help should call Ray Rossman at the Gunnison Forest Service office at 303-641-0471:
• Donate time working to clear the site. Volunteers throughout the country will help in an organized effort this summer Aug. 20-28. Local volunteers may join the national group or work on the site any time after it is opened.
• Provide a front-end loader or truck to help remove rock from the tunnel’s entrance.
• Buy the video, The Alpine Tunnel: The Inside Story by the Historic Video Production company. One dollar from each sale goes toward tunnel renovation.
• Donate cash. All contributions will help purchase materials and supplies.
• Look through old family photo albums for early pictures of the Alpine Tunnel and its surroundings. The Forest Service needs original construction data to restore buildings to their former state. They particularly need a photo of the back of the boarding house.
• Submit the stories of relatives that may have worked on the Alpine Tunnel. That information helps preserve the significance of the site.
• Donate artifacts and relics previously from taken the Alpine Tunnel, including old stones from the engine house. Artifacts from other narrow-gauge sites may add to museum pieces eventually shown in the boarding house.
• Avoid taking artifacts from the tunnel or from any other public or private property. Removing artifacts robs future generations of their historic heritage. Besides, it’s against the law.
— K O’C-T