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 1960-1961 editions.
1960
January
 |
| C&S 99201 at CO RR Museum, early 1990s |
May
The regular monthly meeting of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club will be held on Wednesday, June 8, 1960, at the Farmers Union Auditorium, East 16th and Sherman, Denver, at 8:00 P.M. We will see some of
Otto Perry's interesting movies— some we have never seen before, including pictures of the Colorado & Southern standard gauge rotary on the Leadville-Climax line, photographed in action this year (Ed. This rotary, intended for use on the Alpine Tunnel route but found to be too heavy, was used on both narrow and standard gauge C&S lines, including Boreas Pass. 99201 was donated to the Colorado Railroad Museum by the C&S in 1972).
August
It is with pleasure that we can now announce the attainment of a goal toward which we began working some years ago—we have now paid the last of our obligations for our recent book, "Pictorial Supplement to Denver South Park & Pacific," by club members Kindig, Haley, and Poor. The three authors have agreed to donate all the profits from the sale of the remaining copies of this book to the treasury of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club—an amount that will eventually add several thousand dollars to the club's funds. New members or others who are interested in obtaining a copy of this book may still secure copies from the club, at 2561 South Cook Street, Denver, 10, Colorado. Free brochures describing the book are also available at this address.
November
Our new book, "Pictorial Supplement to Denver South Park and Pacific" reached the break-even point by summer, and the remaining 300-odd copies will further improve the club's financial status as they are sold.
1961
January
If you are still thinking about obtaining a copy of "Pictorial Supplement to Denver, South Park and Pacific", you'd better get in motion. There are less than 300 copies available from the club.
February
Those of us who live around Denver have many times noticed the long lines of steam engines in the C&S yards, waiting to be scrapped. These engines have been photographed many times, and it was well known they weren't long for this world. Which they weren't. Only 3 engines (all CB&Q) remain in the scrap line — #4947, #4952, and #4994. All the rest have been sent to a scrap dealer in Houston, Texas. There were 18 in all, sent in 3 shipments with 6 locomotives in each shipment. The first shipment was sent between Christmas, 1960, and New Year's — the next shipment 3 weeks later — and the last shipment went the week of February 5, 1961. The C&S locomotives included in these shipments were:
#605 #804 #608 #805 #629 #806 #631 #807
#632 #808 (CB&Q 5509)
 |
| C&S SG 641 on display, early 1990s |
#647
#648
#904 #909 #914
This leaves only 2 C&S locomotives in usable condition in the vicinity; #638 and #641. #641 works the
Leadville to Climax run, and #638 makes infrequent runs around Denver.
********
Not all Burlington engines wind up in the scrap line, however. Some of the old engines which escaped and are now on display are:
CB&Q #967 Built in 1899 — Minden, Nebraska (Pioneer Village)
 |
| C&S 71 1964 |
CB&Q #3001 Built in 1930 — Ottumwa, Iowa (Ballingall Park)
C&S #9 Built in 1882 — Hill City, South Dakota
C&S #60 Built in 1886 — Idaho Springs, Colorado
C&S #71 Built in 1897 — Central City, Colorado
FW&D #304 Built in 1906 — Wichita Falls, Texas (City Park)
FW&D #501 Built in 1910 — Childress, Texas (Depot)
April
As a result of our recently receiving a number of requests for information concerning the Climax-Leadville run of the C&S, the following is offered to those desiring to view or photograph this standard-gauge operation! C&S 2-6-0 #641 is handling the run at the present time and will probably continue to do so for the remainder of 1961.
The runs from Leadville to Climax are usually made during the first parts of the week. The #641 is ready to go at 8:00 a.m., with the crew called for 8:00 a.m. Climax is reached by 11:30 a.m. Considerable switching is done here, after which the train returns to Leadville. (Ed. The Climax to Leadville stretch was the last remaining stretch of South Park/C&S narrow gauge, operating until August 1943 when it was standard gauged. The standard gauge branch was the last regularly scheduled steam operation by a Class 1 railroad in the US. The C&S dieselized the operation in 1962).
August
We are now about to close the sales book of the "Pictorial Supplement to Denver, South Park & Pacific". There are only about 60 copies remaining to be sold, out of the 4,000 printed, and orders are coming in every day.
 |
| C&S 1006 1960s |
Colorado & Southern's narrow gauge caboose #1006, on display at Silver Plume, has been recently renovated. The C&S provided the materials, and a few devoted members of the NMRA provided the labor. The caboose was put up on rails, new doors and windows added, and the entire inside and outside was painted. (Ed. the caboose was put on display in 1941 near the Silver Plume depot where it sat on four pieces of wood. It appears to have been moved around a few times. When Mac Poor and Ed Haley visited the caboose in 1945, Poor described its condition this way: "There it sits on four crossties, forlorn and neglected, as if waiting for the inevitable end, which somehow seems close at hand." Thankfully, that was not the case and we are indebted to the various groups who re-rescued her throughout the years including today's Colorado & Southern Railway Society).
 |
| C&S 1006 1962 |
