C&S Photos on eBay.

[Jim Courtney]

Just listed is a photo of CC 10 switching at Sunset:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405828299549?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D284621%26meid%3Da9bf3e08f80243c58b073b716124ef7e%26pid%3D101949%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D405828299549%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2WithMLRPboosterAndUpdatedFeatures_BP&_trksid=p4375194.c101949.m162918&_trkparms=parentrq%3A9207766c1960a57b33bc5549fffee8ba%7Cpageci%3A570d7bf5-277a-11f0-ac70-761d1b2880ed%7Ciid%3A1%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage




The Congdon stack suggests a date of 1884-1885 to me. Note the small sheet metal "plow" on the tender back-up pilot, likely for pushing stray rocks off the track in Boulder Canyon. No wye as yet--not much room for switching!




Dave and Chris can identify the freight cars . . .

[Chris Walker]

Awesomeness delivered today but no Excursion Cars....

What are the chances; is this the last Southbound Passenger from Plume on the 27th May, 1920; or just another run?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/365526698758?

[Dave Eggleston]

Jim Courtney wrote

Just listed is a photo of CC 10 switching at Sunset


The Congdon stack suggests a date of 1884-1885 to me. Note the small sheet metal "plow" on the tender back-up pilot, likely for pushing stray rocks off the track in Boulder Canyon. No wye as yet--not much room for switching


Dave and Chris can identify the freight cars . . .

You're absolutely correct on the date, but possibly as late as 1886. #10 was the first leased Brooks moguls from the CCRR (and later the South Park) to run on the line after Porter #6 was returned. I don't know how quickly the UP renumbered engines, and if #10 was in Boulder at the time it may have retained its original number after 1885 for a short time until sent back to Golden.

Combine is CC #6, the passenger car used during the first year or so of operation.

The boxcar is one of the 1880 UP Built CCRR boxcars, possibly the famous 1620, seen in many photos, or possibly 1704 which was also on the line at this time.

The flat with stakes may be one of the early CCRR 7-stake cars if I'm counting correctly. The two with sides are harder to identify but I'm sure someone will. Same with the one on the curve.

Notably the line seen was to continue beyond the bridge, up the hill and eventually to the Pacific. That never happened.

[Jim Courtney]

Awesomeness indeed! Great photo.

I don't think it's the last run, though. The consist is right, but Cooke number 7 has the older headlight from the teens and early twenties.
By the time of the last run, number 7 sported a Pyle type headlight without visor:

[Chris Walker]

Thanks Jim, I forgot to cross-check the Headlight; too busy wowing over a good picture from that era, high sun and darkside not helping.
Train time shots at the Depot are rare.

[Chris Walker]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/176590240045?


https://www.ebay.com/itm/326315545662?


https://www.ebay.com/itm/286515134335?


https://www.ebay.com/itm/176324169607?

[Southpark]

Now that rotary image "looks" like an EB at Dickey.  Tom Klinger

[Chris Walker]

Southpark wrote

Now that rotary image "looks" like an EB at Dickey.  Tom Klinger

That was a feeling I had too, but couldn't decide if the structure visible is an Engineshed with open door, or a Snowshed with open door?  Apart from photos, I've only been over Boreas twice so can't feel the topography.  More research needed on this......

[Todd Hackett]

I checked to see if I had this Forks Creek stereoview already, and found that I have another Weitfle view that must have been taken the same day. The images line up perfectly except for people, trains, and the shadow on the depot. The depot faces basically east, so the view I have with the train farther forward was taken later with the sun higher. I have another file that I copied from eBay a while ago that matches the one presently listed except the people are in different places (many in front of the locomotive). The middle image below is a blend of the one on eBay and the one in my collection, and the structures and scenery match up perfectly, so the camera must not have moved between shots. The bucket on the bench to the left of the depot door, the cans below it, and something I can't identify on the platform against the end wall in the first photo have been removed for the second.

[Jim Courtney]

Listed on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/406132920193?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20250324083038%26meid%3Dec9d48ebd8154a10a1e8ee249942f649%26pid%3D101952%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26mehot%3Dnone%26itm%3D406132920193%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DWatchlistVariantWithMLR_BP&_trksid=p4375194.c101952.m162921&_trkparms=parentrq%3Ab93d90881980a0d592dec40dffffe09e%7Cpageci%3A0878a3ba-7b96-11f0-b2c7-ae40bd5a9d66%7Ciid%3A1%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage




I'm going to guess this is in the late 'teens or early 20s. The baggage wagon is really neat:




I suspect the little wagon was used to transfer baggage / express from the Silver Plume up and down trains to the Blackhawk / Central City mixed train's combine.

Note also the safety railing along the walkway on the left side of the iron bridge.

[Chris Walker]

Any guesses as to the Loco on the Bridge, Jim?  It doesn't fit with the 13.

[Jim Courtney]

I haven't a clue, Chris. All I see is a dark shape suggesting a tender, a taller dark shape suggesting a cab and a bit of what looks to be a shotgun stack above the cab roof. No Ridgeway spark arrestor visible. I have revised my gestimate of the date to late first decade to mid teens, due to a light engine on the bridge, and no evidence of any train on the main or wye..

It is my understanding that the morning "down" train from Silver Plume had an early morning departure and arrived at Forks before the "up" train from Denver. The morning train down from Central and Blackhawk met the Silver Plume "down" train at Forks and cut in the baggage car and coach(es) from Central into the Denver bound morning "down" train.  The locomotive then backed up to take water, perhaps coal, then turned around the wye, backed across the bridge, and went on the spot opposite the depot on the water tank leg of the wye.

The morning "up' train from Denver was a long consist, including a baggage car and one or more coaches for Black Hawk / Central, usually required a helper from Denver to Forks. Arriving at Forks, the Central engine would cut out the consist for the Central branch, and would be on its way to Blackhawk. The shortened morning "up" train would then leave for Idaho Springs and eventually Silver Plume for a lunch lay over.

The entire process would be repeated in the afternoon.


If I were to guess the locomotive on the bridge, C&S 21, one of the rebuilt Brooks 2-6-0s, would be a good bet:

\
A 1906 passenger train approaching the Blackhawk depot with the Central City section of the "up" train from Denver. If that's a 2-6-0 on point, it would have to be either C&S 21 or 22, given the air tank atop the boiler. It could also be one of the Cooke 2-8-0s.


Number 21 spotted at the Forks depot, awaiting the "up" train from Denver, c1912.


Number 21 arriving at Blackhawk with the Central City section of the "up" train, c1912. Is it morning or afternoon?


Forks was probably the single busiest spot on the entire C&S narrow gauge system. If one is a Clear Creek fan and really, really likes passenger trains, it would make a great stand alone subject for a model railroad. Forks depot, bridge, wye, tank, etc, with a bit of mainline east and west, the modeled portion being fed by three staging yards representing Denver, Silver Plume and Central City.  Where else could you switch two passenger trains twice a day?? Como perhaps . . .