A new exhibit at the Museum of the West in Grand Junction recounts the history and legacy of the railroad in Western Colorado.

The exhibit, titled “United by Two Steel Rails,” includes photographs, historic documents and other artifacts. The lights, bells and whistles of trains invite visitors to climb aboard.

On Nov. 21, 1882, mere hours after a wooden bridge over the Colorado River was completed, a Denver & Rio Grande train rolled through Grand Junction for the first time. Within a year, the population climbed into the thousands. The exhibit explores how trains, transportation and travel ushered Western Colorado into the modern world. 

The Museum of  the West is located at 462 Ute Ave. and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call 242-0971 or visit the website at www.museumofwesternco.com.