Entry No. 7 — the Pueblo file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Forgotten Grumman TLRV Hovertrains
“It topped out at 91. Now the TLRV rusts at the dead end of West D Street.”
In 1972 Grumman Aerospace built a wheelless train meant to scream down a U-shaped concrete trough at 300 mph, riding compressed air from three turbofans bolted to its roof. The DOT tested it at Pueblo's high-speed track until the funding died in August 1975 — it topped out at 91. Now the TLRV rusts at the dead end of West D Street beside the French-licensed Rohr Aerotrain, behind chain-link, barbed wire, and a Beware of Dog sign, still waiting on a museum exhibit that never opened.
The story
In the early 1970s, the U.S. Department of Transportation decided traditional steel wheels were a dead end. Grumman Aerospace—the same defense contractor building Apollo lunar modules—crafted the Tracked Levitated Research Vehicle (TLRV), a wheelless wedge meant to float on compressed air inside a U-shaped concrete trough at 300 mph, powered by three roof-mounted turbofans. They brought it to Pueblo's high-speed test track to build the future of American transit.
The future never arrived. The Grumman topped out at a modest 91 mph before federal money dried up completely in August 1975, killed off by budget shifts and energy crisis realities. Parked beside it in the dust is its fellow casualty: a French-licensed Rohr Aerotrain prototype, another victim of the era's short-lived air-cushion fever.
Instead of a climate-controlled museum, the twin rocket-cars ended up tucked away at the asphalt dead end of West D Street. Owned by the Pueblo Railway Foundation, they sit in an industrial yard behind chain-link and barbed wire—a pair of jet-age promises quietly rusting in the Colorado sun while waiting on display plans that never materialized.
What it's like
Drive to the western dead end of West D Street, park along the curb, and walk up to the chain-link fence. There are no ticket booths, tour guides, or gift shops here—just a 'Beware of Dog' sign, barbed wire, and two alien transit pods sitting in a gravel yard. You can stand a few feet from the fence and thread your camera lens through the mesh to capture the Grumman's massive rooftop turbofans. Treat it as a fast, 10-minute pit stop near golden hour before walking back toward the historic district.
The move: Walk to the fence at the dead end of West D Street near golden hour, thread a camera lens through the chain-link to catch the rooftop turbofans, then argue over which doomed future you'd have boarded on the stroll back to Neon Alley.
📍 Before you go The trains sit at the western dead end of West D Street, a few blocks from the Union Depot, and viewing is strictly from the street: they are behind a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire on what looks like a shop yard, so bring a long lens and skip any climbing ideas. Street parking at the dead end is easy and the ground is flat pavement. The Pueblo Railway Foundation owns the fleet, and its rolling-stock displays by the Depot are a short walk away — pair the stop with Neon Alley and the Union Avenue Historic District two blocks east.
- 📍 Pueblo
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Western dead end of W. D Street (west of S. Union Ave, near the Pueblo Railway Museum yard), Pueblo, CO 81003
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Pueblo Neon Alley — After inspecting forgotten 1970s transit tech through the fence, stroll east to see glowing mid-century commercial signs rescued and restored in an alleyway.
- The Clink Lounge — Pair your view of abandoned government prototypes with a drink inside Pueblo's old municipal lockup, complete with an original solitary confinement cell door.
- Bite Me Cake Company / Flip A Coin Arcade Bar — Trade retro-futuristic train relics for vintage arcade cabinets in a basement barcade located just under a neighborhood bakery.
Good to know
Can you go inside or touch the hovertrains?
No. The trains sit behind a locked chain-link fence topped with barbed wire on a private yard. Viewing is strictly from the public street.
Where exactly are they located?
At the far western dead end of West D Street in Pueblo, just a few blocks west of South Union Avenue and the Union Depot railyards.
How much does it cost to see them?
Viewing is completely free and accessible anytime from the street, though daylight hours give you much better photographic contrast.
Who owns these prototypes now?
The Pueblo Railway Foundation owns the fleet, keeping them stored in this yard near their other historical rolling stock displays.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · pueblorailway.org · interestingengineering.com · sites.google.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-11