Great Western chugs along with shortline niche

LOVELAND — The Great Western Railway Co. of Colorado may not be the kind of railroad that folk singers waxed poetic about. It may not be the kind that hoboes hop.But it is important — serving as short-haul link between local manufacturers and the major rail links.
"We provide service to a small customer base," said Dave Lafferty, president of the Loveland-based shortline railroad. "Some customers I do 10 cars in a year, some I do 10 cars a day. But they˜re all equally important."
The Great Western was founded in 1901 by a group of Loveland-area businessmen concerned about…