C&Sng Revival Book Trailer 3

 Here's another sneak peek at my book Colorado & Southern Narrow Gauge Revival, this time with a look at C&S engine No. 74.

Colorado & Southern Narrow Gauge Revival is now available to order at

South Platte Press 

Rons Books 

South Park Line Book 

N Scale Supply 

C&Sng Revival Book at Omaha Train Show

 Phil Reisdorff of South Platte Press displayed my book at the Dec. 6-7 Nebraska-Iowa Railroaders Holiday Train & Toy Show, Dec. 6-7.

It's been fun to see it out there!

Historic C&S bridge in Breckenridge rebuilt!

Back in early 2025 Breckenridge History contacted Bob Schoppe, president of the DSP&P Historical Society, for help with research related to the C&S trestle bents still standing in the Blue River in Downtown Breckenridge. Their goal was to reconstruct a historical accurate replica of part of the trestle with rails and all. Bob reached out to others on the C&Sng Forum and took the gathered information back to Breckenridge History. 

Bob noted that "Wes Pfarner, the librarian/archivist at the Friends library in Albuquerque provided generic specs on wood trestles from 'A treatise on wooden trestle bridges according to the present practice on American railroads'.  It looks really close (albeit std guage) but I am not certain."

He also pointed out that "Breckenridge History (formerly Breckenridge Heritage Alliance) has done a lot for preserving RR history in Summit County.  The Railroad Park in Breck is amazing and they have also supported our work in Como.  Restoring that short section of trestle over the Blue river would be, quite simply, really cool."

The great news is that work is now complete and only awaits the historical signage. The DSP&P Historical  Society provided all the rail used for the display. The work had a long-term vision as well: BH placed sleeves (fiberglass filled with epoxy) around the pilings to strengthen them. Bob pointed out, "[BH] said that the wood above water was well 'weatherworn' but below the water was in excellent shape."

Below are photos of the work taken by Larry Crispell of BH.

Book trailer No. 2 for C&S Narrow Gauge Revival

I put together another book trailer video with a small teaser on the story of Colorado & Southern 2-8-0 No. 60's story of restoration.

Colorado & Southern Narrow Gauge Revival is now available to order at

South Platte Press 

Rons Books 

South Park Line Book 

N Scale Supply 

A Beartrap Stack on the Durango & Silverton in 1991

C&S 62 near St. Elmo with
a Beartrap Stack

The Ridgway Spark Arrestor, also known as the Beartrap Stack, is one of the most defining characteristics of the Colorado & Southern's narrow gauge locomotives. Designed to limit sparks from the engines so as to avoid fires along the right-of-way, it was deemed so effective that even leased engines like those from the D&RGW and CB&Q were equipped with them. 

Back in 1991, my parents took my brother and I on our first trip to Colorado. One of our stops included a ride on the Durango & Silverton. Before our trip we stayed at the Iron Horse Inn. The former Rio Grande tracks ran behind the hotel which gave us a great opportunity to watch D&S trains storm by. Much to my surprise one of these included ex-D&RGW 481 sporting, of all things, a Beartrap Stack. I don't know the reason for its use (other than possibly historical fun), so hopefully this post will elicit some explanation from someone in the know.

Here is some very old, poor quality home movie footage of our visit. No. 481 is the second of the two trains in the video.

Here is a little more info related to the Beartrap Stack from an old post of mine:

As Mac Poor pointed out in a 1948 article, the C&S was often hampered by the problem of causing fires along their rights-of-way and thus eventually created what many now call a "Beartrap Spark Arrestor."  This feature has become nearly synonymous with the Colorado & Southern narrow gauge being eventually applied to all their engines with the exception of No. 70 when it was converted to an oil burner.

In poking around for some info on this contraption I came across two curious sights on the internet.  The first is a photo of unknown origin (at least to me.  I forgot where I found it. Sorry!) showing what appears to be a logging railroad with a massive balloon stack version of a spark arrestor with not just one, but two tubes to drop the cinders along the right of way.

Curiously, it appears that the rail on the left side of the locomotive is not present!

Next, I found a photo of the D&RGW 346 wearing a Beartrap spark arrestor at the Colorado Railroad Museum in a 2015 photo.  No. 346 did wear one of these during the time that the C&S borrowed it in the 1930s, but I didn't know that it sometimes wore it at the museum.  Maybe those of you who are Colorado residents can let me know if this is a regular occurrence or not.

A book trailer for my new C&S book-Enjoy!

 I put together a trailer with a small taste of my book Colorado & Southern Narrow Gauge Revival. If you know someone who might be interested, please pass it along.

Thanks to everyone who has already ordered the book. We've gone onto a second printing. It's encouraging to see the interest in both the Colorado narrow gauge and in narrow gauge restoration history.

Enjoy,

Kurt

The Locos We Lost - Part 5

 

In part 3 of "The Locos We Lost" series of posts, I noted that in April 1941, the same month that Central City won its fight with the Burlington (who resisted requests from the town for a while) to display C&S consolidation No. 71, gondola 4319, and combine No. 20, an article in the 

Denver Public Library Special Collections,
OP-6098, 1938 Otto Perry photo

Jefferson County Republican stated, "Plans were underway this week in Golden, to try to secure an old narrow gauge engine, coach and caboose from the Colorado & Southern, as a historical exhibit."  The article's author comments that "In the years to come, tourists would regard such an exhibit of considerable interest, and local citizens would likewise value it highly."

I surmised that the most likely candidate for this Golden display would have been either C&S 69 or 70 since engines 74, 75, & 76 were still at work on the Leadville-Climax stretch.  

However, I recently re-read Tom and Denise Klinger's Clear Creek Memories and Then Some and noticed an article on page 152 that I missed the first time around confirming exactly which engine Golden set its eyes on.

The article, titled "Last Rails of C&S" tells of the work train that scrapped the Clear Creek line.  It notes, "Ed Osborne was engineer and Brownie Anderson, fireman of locomotive No. 69 that pulled the work train, the last of the old engines to travel on these rails.  M. R. Wood was brakeman.  An effort is being made to park No. 69 in an appropriate place in Golden as a historical monument to the part played by the Colorado & Southern Railway Company in the development of Golden and the rich mining districts of Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties."

On the previous page of the Klingers' book they quote from the May 15th, 1941 Colorado Transcript, "Messrs. Coors and Duvall have conferred with Robert Rice, vice president of the C&S railroad and are hopeful that the city will be able to secure an early day engine and one or two cars.  It is planned to install this on a short section of track."  

The Klingers conclude with "Alas, the efforts by Golden to obtain a historic engine and car did not come to fruition."

The Locos We Lost - Part 4

 "will be shipped to Alaska, where it is expected, she will see many more years of service."

This was a statement in the July 28th, 1943 Chicago Bureau.

This, of course, is referring to C&S Nos. 69 or 70...right?

Nope.

"Old 76 will be shipped to Alaska, where it is expected, she will see many more years of service."


Because we know this, in fact, never happened, it prompted someone on the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum to ask, "Did C&S 76 miss the boat?"

There were many responses to that question including that as the war situation changed, the engine wasn't needed or that it was unsuitable to the needs on the White Pass and Yukon (though why the smaller C&S locos were better suited seems odd).

As we know C&S 75 and 76 were instead bought and sent to work on a railroad in Peru where they eventually were scrapped probably in the 1960s.

Had 76 made it to Alaska instead might she have survived to the present day?  Considering that 69 and 70 made it to Alaska, but also went to the scrapper, it is unlikely.

So off to Peru she went where she probably survived longer than she would have in Alaska.  But the grim scrapper came to her there just as well.

Like a bad 'choose-your-own-ending' kids' novel, no matter what you choose, 76 was to be a goner.  In the end, then, this was simply a rabbit trail for the fun of it.

C&S Narrow Gauge Revival-New book!

I’m happy to announce a new book that I authored that think many who have visited this blog will enjoy, Colorado & Southern Narrow Gauge Revival.

As a long-time fan of rail restorations and of the C&S narrow gauge, I set out to research the backstories of each piece of saved equipment or resurrection of the railroad along the railway’s former Clear Creek Line between Denver and Silver Plume. My emphasis is on the stories of the resolute individuals who took surprising risks to save and even bring to life narrow gauge railroad history.

Even if you’re not a C&S fan, you’ll find lots of info of interest as the stories also connect to the Rio Grande Southern, the D&RGW, Westside Lumber, the Colorado & Northwestern, Denver Boulder and Western, the White Pass & Yukon, and Camino Cable and Northern, not to mention narrow gauge railroads in Central America.

For those who have been around Colorado narrow gauge rail preservation, you’ll also learn a good deal about giants in that realm including Bob Richardson, Ed Haley, Mac M.C. Poor, Richard Kindig, Charles Ryland, Lindsey and Rosa Ashby, and many more. Entwined in all of this are the stories of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, and the backstory of the origins of the Colorado Railroad Museum.

The book is now available for purchase via South Platte Press.

If you’re interested in a signed copy and/or if you’d like to learn a bit more about the book visit my book website here. 

Here is a short synopsis of the book:

The last segment of the Colorado & Southern's narrow-gauge Clear Creek line from Denver to Silver Plume was abandoned in 1941. But in the years since, C&Sng artifacts ranging from rolling stock to the Georgetown Loop have been preserved and restored. This book includes little-known and amazing stories regarding every extant C&Sng locomotive, rail car and track segment along the former Clear Creek District. It's also the story of those resolute individuals who made tremendous personal sacrifices to save these historic rail treasures for future generations.

On the way to Alpine tunnel - Milepost 178-177

Back in May of 2024, my family and I stayed in Ohio City for about a week. We had a chance to trace the South Park roadbed between Parlin and Pitkin, something I hadn't had the chance to do before. I haven't found many historical photos of the railroad outside of the towns of Parlin, Ohio City, and Pitkin, but recently I came across the photo below. I had filmed the trip between the towns with a GoPro, so I wondered if I could find the spot and, sure enough, it was easily identifiable. I put the find in a short video.

Here is the video:

The Locos We Lost - Part 3

 

Another lost loco came to my attention while reading Tom and Denise Klinger's C&S Clear Creek District Memories and Then Some. 

In April of 1941, Central City had won its tussle with the CB&Q to get a display train.  No. 71, a gondola, and a baggage coach had been moved and placed on a short stretch of track near the site of the old depot. 

It seems that Golden got jealous.  The same month that Central City mounted its train, an article in the Jefferson County Republican stated, "Plans were underway this week in Golden, to try to secure an old narrow gauge engine, coach and caboose from the Colorado & Southern, as a historical exhibit."  The author comments that "In the years to come, tourists would regard such an exhibit of considerable interest, and local citizens would likewise value it highly."

Unsurprisingly, considering the trouble the C&S went through to get 71 to Central City, Klinger later points out that "The Golden request for a display train was turned down by the Colorado & Southern Railway."  Based on info found here, I suspect that it was not the C&S but the CB&Q who turned down the request.

Had Golden succeeded, what locomotive would it have been?  With 9, 60, and 71 already assigned, this left only 5 others that had not yet been scrapped.  These were Nos. 69, 70, 74, 75, and 76.  

Several of these locomotives were also still in active service at Leadville, particularly 74, 75, and 76.

69 and 70 wouldn't get sold until 1943 and the rest would be off to other railroads by 1945.  My guess is that 69 and 70 would have been the best candidates for a Golden display as they had run on the Clear Creek line.  As far as I know Nos. 74-76 had only worked the South Park. 

Alas, none of this was meant to be.

The Locos We Lost - Part 2

 According to Colorado Rail Annual Number Ten by Cornelius W. Hauck, the C&S made a 1938 inventory of the remaining narrow gauge engines.  Next to No. 6 is the note "Held to be sent to World's Fair, New York. (Due flues 2-40)."

Hauck notes that during a July 7th, 1938 general meeting "the 6 had been set aside for [the World's Fair], but the suggestion was made that the 9 was in better shape and might well be used instead."  As we know, that was in fact done.

It seems No. 6 had one more shot at life when in the same year the C&S offered locomotives for display to towns along its line.  Unfortunately, a note to the Superintendent of Motive Power states, "We now find that none of the towns are agreeable to accepting this engine.  You may therefore scrap engine 6, which will complete the AFE."  She was scrapped in 1939.

Just one year after her scrapping, Central City began its pursuit of a display locomotive, followed by the appeasement of a tax debt to Idaho Springs with another display train.  Alas, No. 6 was lost a year before she could be one of the locos to be considered for either of these towns.

But that's not the end of the story.  A small part of No. 6 lives on.  According to Jason Midyette's book One Short Season, during work in 2005 to bring No. 9 back to life for a short time on the Georgetown Loop, it was discovered that "ENG 6" was marked on the inside of the lead drivers.  It appears, to my assumption, that in the process of sprucing up No. 9 for the World's Fair, the lead drivers needed replacing and No. 6's were in better condition and thus were swapped. 

Photo of No. 6 from The Pictorial Supplement of the DSP&P

Vote for the Alpine Tunnel Palisade Wall Repair Project

I'm passing along this important post (at the ngdiscussion forum) from Justin Kerns:

Each year, History Colorado's Stephen H. Hart Awards honor outstanding projects that preserve Colorado's meaningful past. Over the last few years History Colorado has contributed significant grant funds to the repair of the Palisade Wall. The Palisades Wall and Alpine Tunnel was nominated by History Colorado staff as one of the 2026 People's Choice Award nominees. Voting is open to the public now until October 27th. It would be great to get some votes so that History Colorado sees the value of funding future historic railroad projects.

Vote now at this link VOTE HERE. You can vote as many times as you want! 

Below are photos from Chuck Severance showing the work done last year to repair the wall.

Located within the Alpine Tunnel Historic District outside Pitkin, Colorado, the Palisades Wall supports the first railbed to traverse the continental divide, and is a major feature within the District. Completed in the early 1880s, the wall is constructed of dry stacked stone at an elevation of around 11,000 ft. In 2017, an avalanche hit the wall, causing the upper middle section to collapse and forcing the popular off-road trail to close. The US Forest Service partnered with the nonprofit, The National Forest Foundation (NFF), to seek grant funding to reconstruct and rehabilitate the wall, helping to restore a historically significant feature and popular trail in the Gunnison National Forest. The project wrapped up in the fall of 2024 and the road opened in the summer of 2025, bringing back a well known heritage tourism site that surrounding towns like Pitkin, Gunnison, and Lake City depend on. 

The Locos We Lost - Part 1

 I know I should be thankful that we have 5 very well-preserved locomotives of the C&S.  And I am!   Goodness, there are some railroads with no saved engines. 

But one can't help thinking of what might have been.  In my readings and research over the years I've noticed that there were a few other engines that came close to being saved, but for various reasons were lost.  The next few posts will explore these.

The first lost loco did not make it to the C&S era.  In fact, it was a Mason Bogie.  Yes, a Mason Bogie from the South Park was actually preserved!  Unfortunately, how it got saved is a complete mystery.  In fact, which locomotive it was is a mystery as well.

So, here's the story.

According to an article of his in the 1948 Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin, Mac Poor, author of the renowned DSP&P book, was doing some research on locomotives and discovered that there was "an old bogie type engine" on display at Iowa State College since roughly 1905.  He found some info on the engine in a school publication listing the various railroads that had at one time owned this engine.  No mention of the South Park was found there. 

However, upon inspection it was found that "The drive wheel diameters, wheel base, firebox dimensions, gauge and valve gear coincides exactly with the specifications of Mason engines built for the South Park." 

The real giveaway came when a "D.S.P" was found on the casting of the right hand cylinder.  In addition to this, "Cast in a front wheel truck are the words 'Denver Wheel G.W. Co. Denver, Colo. Jan. 14, 1896 U.P.D.&G.'"

So, what happened to it?  Alas, World War II happened.  According to The Pictorial Supplement to the DSP&P, which has a photo of the loco on display in a somewhat deteriorated condition, the engine was lost to the wartime scrap drive in 1942. 

The caption there reads "The last surviving example of a South Park Mason bogie stood for 37 years on the campus of Iowa State College....Many erroneous and confusing statements were made concerning the history of this locomotive, but there is no doubt that it was a South Park engine."

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Side note: Mac Poor's article was published in 1948, but he makes no mention of the engine being scrapped even though, if The Pictorial Supplement is correct, the locomotive was gone already for six years.