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 1979 editions.
1979
March
(Man who rode the last rotary through Alpine Tunnel turns 95)
OUR VERY BEST WISHES to George Champion who just celebrated his 95th birthday! George worked on the South Park line (he rode the last rotary snowplow run through the Alpine Tunnel) and the Moffat Road and is a fountain of information when the topic of conversation is about those fascinating lines.
(Ed. You can hear an audio recording of Champion describing his experience taking a rotary through Alpine Tunnel below)
July
(Exploring Como and Boreas Pass with Ed Haley, Dick Kindig, and George Champion)
A PORTION of one of Colorado's most colorful narrow gauge lines will be the subject of the club's August field trip as we explore the Breckenridge Como grade of the DSP&P. The 20-mile grade over Boreas Pass has not heard the exhaust of a steam locomotive since the late 1930's, but most of the route is still intact, and a few relics of the railroad's past are still evident.
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| Baker Tank 2018 |
The field trip will start at the east end of the Villa Italia Shopping Center in Lakewood near the Joslins store. Departing from there at 8:00 A.M. on Saturday, August 18, we will proceed to Breckenridge and the beginning of the grade. There will be a number of "wandering" stops along the way, such as at Baker's Tank and the summit, but only one very short walk during the day.
Just about anyone could make this trip, and the road is passable for autos. Ed Haley, Dick Kindig, and George Champion will be along to answer questions on the line, and describe points on interest relating to some of their experiences in riding the line back in the "good old days'?" We will stop along the way for lunch. We ask everyone to bring their own picnic lunch and beverages, and perhaps a blanket to throw on the ground.
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| Richard Kindig |
After supper, we will go up to the old school house and enjoy a slide program by Ed Haley and Dick Kindig on their experiences in riding the passenger train from Denver to Leadville by way of Como and Boreas Pass.
The fare for this all-day outing, which will cover the handout, dinner and program, is $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children under 12. Tickets MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE, and will be sold on a first-come first-served basis. Please send orders to the club's post office box. Please use the order blank at the end of the newsletter, or forward the same information.
August
THE BOREAS PASS-COMO FIELD TRIP will take place on Saturday, August 18. Refer to last month's newsletter for details and ticket order blank.
A reminder that tickets must be purchased in advance, $7,00 adults, $3.00 under 12. For those who have ordered theirs already, the tickets will be in the mail soon. Even if you have been over the pass, and many of us have at one time or another, this is still a good opportunity to refresh the memory (and the lungs), get first-hand information on the line, have dinner at the recently reopened railroad eating house in Como, and see a slide program on riding the line in the 30's. The drive is about 150 miles round trip from Denver, and will include little walking. Departure from Villa Italia Shopping Center is at 8:00 A.M., although if you wish to meet the group on the south end of Breckenridge, we will depart from there no sooner than 10:00 A.M. Bring a picnic lunch. If you have any questions, call Darrell Arndt at 321-2723, or Ardie Schoeninger at 238-4485. * * * * *
(Ed. Take this same adventure over Boreas Pass with me below!)
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