Como Section House

[Robert McFarland]

The photos in the section house on the Como Civic Association Facebook  page are the first mention  of this building I've seen.I can't seem to find it in any of the panoramic photos of Como.Does anybody know where it was located?

[Don Pacetti]

Hi Robert,
I'm brand new to the group and wanted to help you out with your question on the Como Section House. According to the ICC Valuation Survey of the C&S NG, conducted by C.L. Dimmler on 9-26-18, here is the Como Section House information:


Here is the abbreviations summary from the Valuation Summary:


The section house was located about a quarter of a mile south of the Como Yard, near the southern water tank. You can clearly see the location on the left of this Valuation map:


Hope this helps. I suspect the Model Masterpiece C&S Section House kit would be a good start, if you want to do it from a kit. If not there is definitely enough information here to scratch build it.

All the best, Don

[Don Pacetti]

Here is a little bit bigger copy of the photo of the Como Section House, taken by Dimmler and his staff:

If you need information on the south tank and the nearby tool house, just let me know and I will be glad to post that for you too.

[Jeff Young]

Great stuff, Don.  Welcome aboard.

The section house location is well on the other side of the (modern) road, so it might be undisturbed terrain.

I checked Google earth, and there’s a spot in the approximate location with some different colouring (and the same for the water tank area).  They certainly don’t stand out as much as the engine house water tank or tenement house foundations (which are quite clear), but I wonder if any trace of the foundations for the section house or west water tank are still there?

Do you have the ICC notes for any of the other areas?  (I have many of the ICC maps, but none of the notes.)

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Don Pacetti]

Hi Jeff,
I have been writing a book about Como, for many years, and as part of that effort I transposed the entire ICC Valuation Summary Notes for Como. This includes all of Dimmler's photos and drawings. These were graciously provided to me by Robert Schoppe, the President of the DSP&P Historical Society.  I believe he has the entire Valuation Summary, with notes, which were obtained with great difficulty from the Denver Public Library. I'm almost positive the picture of the Como Section House came from the Denver Library.

When I first started working on the book, I visited Como and walked the track line to the of the section house and south water tank. It was about 4 years ago and I found rotted wood and several iron fitting at the site of the Section House, and the remains of the Water tank roof, which were clearly visible on the ground east of the tracks. Looked to me like the scrapping crew moved the remains of the tank about 100 ft. east of the location where the tank's freeze box remains were found - I left the remains undisturbed.  I was actually very surprised at how much of the tank remnants were still visible.

[Don Pacetti]

Jeff,
After looking closely at Google Earth, here is where I believe I found the remains of the structures in question:

Section House Foundation Remains
39°18'41.61"N
105°53'26.01"W


Tank Freeze Box Remains
39°18'40.75"N
105°53'24.41"W

Water Tank Roof Remains
39°18'40.78"N
105°53'23.83"W

I'm pretty sure about the tank freeze box location, because there was a small tree growing right near the remains of the water tank stand pipe, when I was there.

[Jeff Young]

Hi Don,

Yes, that tree is what I picked up on too.

I was in Como over the summer helping to lay some track in front of the depot.  I walked most of the yard grounds, but didn’t think to cross the road.  Oh well, I’ll be back next summer….

I look forward to your book.

Cheers,
Jeff (in windy and wet Ireland)

[Don Pacetti]

That area near the south tank is private property, and the guy who lives in the house on the south edge of town gave me a bit of serious grief for going down there. He wasn't the property owner, and the proprietor of the Como Hotel told me to just ignore him, but I thought I would mention it.

[Robert McFarland]

Thanks for the information.on the section house.My interest in it and the Como area is mainly historical study. The area that I am modeling is the  line west of Garos during the 1879-80 period,particularly the temporary town of Weston.Getting back to Como,have you done any research of the Roger Coyne family boarding house?

[Jim Courtney]

The Como 2 story section house looks to be identical to the one at the east end of the siding at Buffalo in Platte Canon.  The plans and specs above could likely be applied to the Buffalo structure as well:



Jim in the Pacific Northwest, where it's also rainy and windy!

[Keith Hayes]

Don, do you have this same documentation for the Leadville section house by Mr. Dimmler?

Can you please publish that?

Thank you.

[Don Pacetti]

Hi Keith. Sorry, but I only have ICC Summary Notes for Como. You might ask Tod Hackett, who is a very accomplished DSP&P Historian and a member of this forum. He might be able to point you in the right direction.  

[Don Pacetti]

Here is another ICC photo of the Como south water tank, section house and outbuildings.
 

[Don Pacetti]

Robert, here is a photo I have of the Coyne Boarding House, when it was in it's prime. I think I also have one showing a snow drift reaching to the second story. I will look through my photos and see if I can find that one too.


I also have an article from the Fairplay Flume that talks about saloon owner Roger Coyne pistol wipping, shooting and slightly wounding a rowdy "Frenchman", that was causing trouble in his Saloon. Do you have that article?

[Chris Walker]

Hi Don,

there is a photo pg61 South Park's Gunnison Division Memories & Then Some of the still standing South Tank.  Also there's printed reference (2) to the South Tank remaining until the mid-60's.  
The Roundhouse Tank was shown in a demolished state pg90 C&S Highline Memories and Then Some.   It can be noted that in several views of Como, by the late 30's that the Sectionhouse, Dispatchers Office and the Superintendents Dwelling all disappeared at or about the same time, ie prior to the scrapping photos.
  http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/5113/rv/singleitem 

Unfortunately dating these views isn't one of my strong points.



 
(2) I need to review just where I saw this, no time today.

[Robert McFarland]

Thank you for posting the photo.It looks like the one in Echoes of Como.There are photos on the DPL digital including the boarding house that were taken by Muriel Wolle in 1941.(X-5134,X-5133) It also shows up in several panoramic shots of Como that were taken from locations east of town.Sometimes I get on the Colorado Historic Newspapers site- could you please tell me what issue of the Flume that had the article you referred to?

[Jeff Young]

The left side of the Muriel Sibell Wolle shot Robert referenced:


http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p15330coll22/searchterm/X-5133/order/nosort

[Don Pacetti]

Robert McFarland wrote

Sometimes I get on the Colorado Historic Newspapers site- could you please tell me what issue of the Flume that had the article you referred to?

Glad you liked the photo. Here is the newspaper source you requested:

Fairplay Flume, Mar 2, 1893, p.4

All the best, Don

[Don Pacetti]

According to the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison records the South Water Tank was 15'X24', with Water Supply - Gravity. Pump House, 1 mile from Tank in Canon. No. 4 1/2 Cameron Steam pump with upright boiler. Here is an engraving of a Cameron Steam pump.

[Jeff Young]

Evidently the D&RGW used the same pumps (this one at Gato):



and the boiler: