Ernie Bullard and Jim Pallow; trying to get her off old
track without dumping her in the creek!
Monday, January 29, 2018
C&S 1006 in 1986 - Photo 27
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Two attempts to reopen the route through the Alpine Tunnel
When the C&S closed down various lines, some communities rallied for a resumption of service. But did this ever occur after the closing of the route through Alpine Tunnel in 1910? Apparently, there were two such attempts.
The first happened in 1912. Since the Colorado Supreme Court was successful in getting the railroad to reopen service between Como and Breckenridge, some thought they could accomplish the same for the line between Como and Gunnison.
The Rocky Mountain News of Denver related a conversation between a Gunnison lawyer by the name
of D.T. Sapp and the C&S Vice President, A.D. Parker. The paper commented that “Sapp stated that Parker had said the C&S would not consider reopening the line from Como until arrangements could be made if possible for penetrating the continental divide at a lower altitude than the Alpine pass.”
The second attempt at forcing the hand of the C&S in this matter came two years later. In 1914 “A True Bill of Indictment was brought against the C&S for Non-feasance. This indictment was made for the failure of the railroad to operate its Gunnison branch in violation of its function as a public carrier.”
Nothing seems to have ever come of these attempts to my knowledge. The author Daniel W. Edwards comments that these “are the only references the writer has found indicating that efforts were made after 1910 to get the C&S to reopen the route through Alpine Tunnel to Gunnison.” (164)
Source: Daniel W. Edwards. A Documentary History of the South Park Line: Vol. 5. The Gunnison District, Part II, 2016. 164-165
Photo: Author's Collection
The first happened in 1912. Since the Colorado Supreme Court was successful in getting the railroad to reopen service between Como and Breckenridge, some thought they could accomplish the same for the line between Como and Gunnison.The Rocky Mountain News of Denver related a conversation between a Gunnison lawyer by the name
of D.T. Sapp and the C&S Vice President, A.D. Parker. The paper commented that “Sapp stated that Parker had said the C&S would not consider reopening the line from Como until arrangements could be made if possible for penetrating the continental divide at a lower altitude than the Alpine pass.”
The second attempt at forcing the hand of the C&S in this matter came two years later. In 1914 “A True Bill of Indictment was brought against the C&S for Non-feasance. This indictment was made for the failure of the railroad to operate its Gunnison branch in violation of its function as a public carrier.”
Nothing seems to have ever come of these attempts to my knowledge. The author Daniel W. Edwards comments that these “are the only references the writer has found indicating that efforts were made after 1910 to get the C&S to reopen the route through Alpine Tunnel to Gunnison.” (164)
Source: Daniel W. Edwards. A Documentary History of the South Park Line: Vol. 5. The Gunnison District, Part II, 2016. 164-165
Photo: Author's Collection
Saturday, January 27, 2018
C&S narrow gauge mileage is growing! Update
* This is an update to a previous post. On December 30th, 2017, a short section of track was laid at Pine, Colorado. See below for details.
In the first half of the twentieth century, the years went up, but the mileage of the C&S kept going down. Minus the Climax to Leadville line, the last narrow gauge C&S-owned rail to be pulled would be from Chatfield to Denver completed by December 1942, leaving the route standard gauged and finally the narrow gauge rails at Union Terminal and the yards at Denver, finished by the 15th of April in 1943.
In the first half of the twentieth century, the years went up, but the mileage of the C&S kept going down. Minus the Climax to Leadville line, the last narrow gauge C&S-owned rail to be pulled would be from Chatfield to Denver completed by December 1942, leaving the route standard gauged and finally the narrow gauge rails at Union Terminal and the yards at Denver, finished by the 15th of April in 1943.
The big finale, of course, was when the narrow gauge rails were uprooted from the now standard gauged Climax to Leadville route after the final narrow gauge run on August 25th, 1943. Technically speaking, C&S rails still held on from Gunnison to the Baldwin Mines, albeit under the "new" ownership of the D&RGW, but were eventually gone by the 1950s.
It struck me, however, that there is more C&S narrow gauge trackage today than over fifty years ago. The mileage of this lost railroad has actually increased since the mid twentieth century as tourist routes have sprung up and historical displays and re-creations have dotted the Colorado landscape.
I don't have exact amounts in terms of mileage, but I thought it would be curious to recount the number of places that now (or still) sport C&S narrow gauge track.
Original track still in place
Length of Alpine Tunnel
Reconstructed track on original roadbed
Silver Plume to Devil's Gate Viaduct
Wye on Kenosha Pass
Rocky Point on Boreas Pass
Snowplow park, Breckenridge
Como
Sherrod Curve
Display Parks
Tracks are on or in the vicinity of former C&S roadbed
Boreas Pass
Silver Plume (The caboose is now indoors under restoration, so I'm not sure the status of the track at present)
Central City
Idaho Springs
Pine
On December 30th, 2017 a short stretch of track was built on the old right-of-way to display a narrow gauge gondola in honor of the South Park's heritage in Pine, once the location of a coaling dock. The car is a D&RGW high side gondola, acquired from Lindsey Ashby.
On December 30th, 2017 a short stretch of track was built on the old right-of-way to display a narrow gauge gondola in honor of the South Park's heritage in Pine, once the location of a coaling dock. The car is a D&RGW high side gondola, acquired from Lindsey Ashby.
 |
| Shelly Means photo, December 30, 2017 |
Reconstructed track that was later removed
Central City towards Black Hawk-twice rebuilt and removed
First time
Second time
Georgetown depot
(I don't recall what is still here. At one point Central American Railways #44 was displayed on track outside the old Georgetown depot. I know #44 is gone, but I am not sure if track remains)
And the great news is: the mileage keeps growing! Especially in Como this year!
References:
Poor, Mac. DSP&P pp. 412-3
Midyette, Jason. "A gondola for Pine." The Bogies and the Loop, January 2018.
Midyette, Jason. "A gondola for Pine." The Bogies and the Loop, January 2018.
C&S 1006 in 1986 - Photo 25
Friday, January 26, 2018
C&S 1006 in 1986 - Photo 24
new track I think the fellow on the left is Ron Keiser, On3
Club and Loop employee; Dave Rogers lettering
Thursday, January 25, 2018
C&S 1006 in 1986 - Photo 23
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