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Hi

During my recent annual trip to Colorado to visit family and friend, I visited Forney Transportation Museum in Denver. It was only the second time in forty years, the first in 1979 when it was located in the old Denver trolley car-barn downtown. That was a cavernous brick building, cars parked fender-to-fender walled off from the public in rudimentary wood tunnel walkways lined with windows of varying cleanliness. The only heated spaces were the entry and whatever filtered into the walkways. While they had many interesting cars, poorly lit, dusty, flat tires, it was what I called "old car prison".

Their new facility is a vast improvement with well-lighted spacious display areas and rotating theme exhibits. In addition to the cars, there are street railway/trolleys, railroad passenger coaches and even steam locomotives including a Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4 on display, all inside. It's a museum well worth your time to visit if you happen to be in Denver or can take the time to do so when passing through.

To a few highlights: A sole survivor 1917 Kissel Kar Double Six. Produced only for the 1917-'18 model years, the engine was built by Weidely, an OHV 389 ci. in., non-detachable heads, cylinders cast in sets of three on a barrel crankcase. Surprisingly, it has side-by-side connecting rods rather than fork and blade. The same engine was used in the 1916-'17 Pathfinder and the 1921 Heine-Velox. Contemporary to the Packard Twin Six and the 1916-'19 National Highway Twelve, both which were their own manufacture.

The Amelia Earhart legend continues decades on. Her 1926 Kissel Model 75 'Gold Bug' Speedster is just the rakish, sporty roadster perfectly befitting her bold, pioneering image. The Gold Bug was a competitor to the Packard Six Sport touring in size, specs and price. Packard should have fitted their Sport touring with cycle-style fender, step-plates as well as dual rear-mounted spares. A Sport Speedster roadster in the same vein would have seemed a prefect companion model too.

Their display vehicles are rotated from two warehouses to keep the selection interesting and fresh. There was only one Packard on display during my visit, a 1937 Henney-Packard hearse on the 120CA commercial chassis, though others are available.

Steve

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