A wealth of railfan history exists in the archives of the Rocky Mountain Rail Report, the newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club started in 1939. Here is some miscellaneous South Park Line/C&S-related news from the 1977 editions.
1977
March
(Traveling past St. Elmo in the winter!)
About the middle of last month, several club members, while wandering around the mountains, drove up
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| C&S boxcars above St. Elmo 1990s |
Chalk Creek Canon to St. Elmo, and then on up the old DSP&P grade about a mile past the town with no problem at all. Probably could have gone all the way to Hancock, were it not for an ice flow across the grade. Imagine, in February.!! The old South Park men and Colorado Midland Hagerman Pass crews would be doing handsprings during a winter like this, although they undoubtedly would be about the only ones in such spirits.
July
(Hiking the Platte Canon grade)
DIG OUT THOSE WALKING SHOES!!! - One of the closest, yet probably one of the most ignored or forgotten abandoned railroad grades near Denver, will be the setting for the club's 1977 field trip as we set aside Saturday, August 6, for the PLATTE CANYON BUNION POUNDER. This is an interesting and scenic old grade to explore, even though man and mother nature have erased many of the Denver South Park & Pacific's (C&S's) markings in the canyon. However, parts of the grade are still sprinkled with cinders from the hard working little engines, there are old bridges still in place and in use, there are the sparce remains of the Strontia Springs Resort, the fascinating rock walls constructed by the Denver & Rio Grande for their planned line through the canyon but which never supported tie or rail, the Water Department's facilities and dam, and other points of interest are there to inspect.
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| 1880s Strontia Springs-William Jackson photo |
We intend to provide two different methods for visiting the canyon which we hope will allow an opportunity for everyone who desires to participate in the outing. The starting point will be the parking area at the eastern mouth of the canyon near the Denver Water Department's treatment facilities at Waterton (Kassler). We will board a chartered bus at 8:00 A.M. for a ride around to the town of South Platte at the west end of the canyon. Our buses will first join the right-of-way at Pine, and proceed to South Platte, passing by Buffalo Creek, Foxton, Westall Monument, Dome Rock and other stations and attractions along the old South Park line. We will stop for a look at a few of them. At South Platte, we will disembark and proceed to walk through Platte Canyon on the old grade. Points of interest will be noted and explained as we progress. We will hike about seven miles to where the grade has been widened and graveled, and a flatbed truck fitted with sideboards and benches will take us the remaining three miles through Waterton, where our cars will be parked.
We realize that there are a number of members and friends who, for one reason or another, are not able to walk this distance through the canyon so we have made arrangements to provide a means for those folks to visit the area as well. Also, at 8:00 A.M. , we will be able to take a limited number of individuals through the canyon to South Platte, and return via the same way to Waterton on the sideboard and bench-equipped truck. This is intended for folks who definitely cannot manage to hoof it seven miles. If we catch anybody climbing aboard the truck with a fake cast on their leg, flashing a forged birth certificate stamped with "1870," etc., it will be into the river for them!!
The hikers should be appropriately dressed and equipped and should bring a lunch and other snacks if desired. At some point, we will stop and eat. Hikers and riders should also bring their own drinking water (it probably will be rather warm in the canyon, depending on the weather of course) and both groups may wish to bring some sort of rain gear if the weather predictions indicate the possibility of afternoon showers. The truck ride may last into the early afternoon; the hike, late afternoon. The canyon is not a difficult hike, as hikes go, as it is entirely on the old grade, is level, and will be taken in a rather leisurely pace. The usual amount of caution should be exercised for a walk of this nature, as there are a few snakes and some poison ivy and oak along the river.
The cost of those riding the bus will be $4.00, those just riding the truck up and back, $1.00. This will cover the cost of the buses and a little handout that will be provided and allow us to insure that everyone will have a place when they arrive. We think this will turn out to be a fine and rewarding day for all. So just send your money to the club's post office box, and indicate the number in your party, and which group you would like to go with. Capacity is limited, so the earlier the request is sent, the better, as we will have to handle them on a first come, first served basis. Reservations will be accepted through July 27th. If there should be any questions, feel free to call Carl Carlson at 985-0975, Darrell Arndt at 321-2723, or Ed Haley at 477-5978.
(Otto Perry photo of C&S freight at Waterton)
AFTER TAKING ON WATER at the tank at Waterton, Colorado, Otto Perry photographed this narrow gauge freight as C&S locomotives No. 68 and 69 move forward and prepare to climb through the Platte Canyon. Two more helper engines are cut into the train near the rear end. This photo, taken by Otto on April 1, 1937, is an example of the many photographs he took of Colorado railroads. After thousands of man-hours of research and cataloging by a number of Rocky Mountain Railroad Club members, a catalog of the Otto C. Perry Memorial Collection of Railroad Photographs is now available from the Western History Department of the Denver Public Library. Volume One lists his photographs from the Alabama & Western RR through the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific Ry. Quality copies of any of the 11,511 photos may be ordered from the catalog listing. Photo sizes range from postcard to poster size, for individual collections or publications. The frontispiece, incidentally, is an original pen and ink drawing of a D&RGW narrow gauge locomotive by Howard Fogg. The catalog is 8k x 11, includes 18 photos, consists of 424 pages and sells for $6.50 plus $1.00 for postage. A price list is furnished with each catalog. Orders should be sent to the Western History Department, Denver Public Library, 1357 Broadway, Denver, Colorado 80203, with checks payable to same. When work on the remaining photos is completed, Volume II will be printed.
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