Al Kamm Jr. photos from 1958

[Mike McKenzie]

To make a short story long, back in the early 70s (in high school) I was a member of the old Midwest Narrow Gaugers and got to know Len Madsen and Al Kamm Jr., back then as now the whole group appreciated having a youngster interested in narrow gauge. Len wrote many early articles for MR on modeling DBGs, the Chama coal tipple, Durango sand house, Lizard Head section house, etc. His eclectic HOn3 layout featured a scratch-built Como roundhouse (slightly upsized to accommodate K class engines) and a beautiful rendition of the Palisades. I always considered him a narrow gauge mentor. When college came along I lost track and eventually the hobby dropped way down on my list of priorities, never thought I'd get back to modeling.


Left to right, Al, Len and John Carruthers

Len had printed some Alamosa shop photos (lots of great interior shots) for me which disappeared in the intervening years (kicking self for letting that happen) and I've been searching for his photo collection for the last 12-13 years. Len passed away in the early 80s and Al passed around 2008-9, about when I got back into the hobby (I found out we lived only a few blocks apart for maybe 18 years).

My good friend Lee Gustafson thought maybe Bert Kamm, Al's son, may have acquired Len's photos and we paid him a visit. Bert is in the hobby (a Burlington guy) but knows very little about Colorado narrow gauge. He didn't have Len's photos but had his dad's photos in storage, in particular 7 rolls of 35mm b&w negatives from 1958 which he graciously allowed me to borrow and scan. Al, Len and John Carruthers were on this trip.

These are basically snapshots, many are a touch out of focus and poorly composed, but there are some real gems. I think I'm one of the few people to have seen them. Bert only had the year but there are shots of the Memorial Day Rocky Club excursion so that nails the date. I'll identify as many of the shots as possible (most are obvious, but may need help on a few) and give that information to Bert.

There are only a few of C&S interest, mostly D&RGW with a little RGS.



Certain this is Baily (Baileys?) depot. The other building is Platte Canyon Fire Department. Al Kamm Jr, collection.

More to come...

Mike

[Mike McKenzie]

Here are some photos of Jefferson depot but I don't think those are the telegraph poles we're looking for...






Al Kamm Jr. collection.

That's about it for C&S content (out of 210 exposures), except what I consider the real gem of the collection (though this may already be known...) - C&S 1008 in Silverton...





1008 as a shed in Silverton, east of town by the old power plant. The house is gone and the power house is now a ski shop. And of course the 1008 is being restored. Al Kamm Jr. collection.

Thanks again to Bert Kamm and to Lee Gustafson for the connection.

Mike

[SteveG]

Great photos, thanks for sharing, but I'm fairly certain that isn't 1008 in Silverton, but rather Silverton and Northern 1005, which is also being restored.
See: https://www.sanjuancountyhistoricalsociety.org/silverton-northern-caboose.html
Seems like it would have taken a lot of work to move the cupola back to the center, change the side window placements, and add end platform windows for a storage shed.  

Regards,
Steve Guty
Lakeway, TX

[Mike McKenzie]

You may be right Steve, it sure looks like 1008 in the first photo, but it could be a 5. Thanks for the clarification, still pretty neat.

Mike

[SteveG]

Yes, saving anything from that era constitutes a victory.

[Mike McKenzie]

The end shot of the number above the door looks like an "8" at that angle, and I locked on to that without a closer comparison of cupola position or windows which really stand out. The angle of the third photo more clearly shows the number as a "5". Sorry for the confusion (mainly mine).

Mike