Construction Operations Around Intake

[Daniel Frauenhoff]

Most of us are familiar with the Kassler Slow Sand Filtration beds but much less is known about the Intake water works project three miles to the west. Hopefully these Denver Water Board photographs will shed some new light on operations that went on in this area during the C&S days.

April 26, 1912. Near MP 21, adjacent to the east portal of the Highline Canal diversion tunnel, the old span which once carried a water conduit across the river is being removed. It will be loaded onto the waiting C&S construction train and moved two miles to Intake. C&S Engine #44, Caboose #1003 and possibly flat car #1090? are visible. Note the wrecked span lying below the one which rests on supports; were there any notable floods in 1912?


Denver Water Board. Album 26, Page 87, #912


Denver Water Board

A larger diameter conduit pipe and new bridge took the place of the old bridge. The newly completed conduit is pictured on August 13, 1912 with C&S tracks passing underneath. It remains to this day.


Denver Water Board. Album 29, Page 53, #1143

This structure is where Otto Perry stood to capture this view in 1929.


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/42437/rec/1

The span was installed in its new location at Intake by October 24, 1912, serving as the bridge over the newly completed dam.


Denver Water Board. Album 29, Page 103, #1203

Finally, a view of Intake on June 9, 1921 during the flood of 1921.


Denver Water Board. Album 11, Page 65,  #1952

Daniel

[Chris Walker]

Daniel,

"Note the wrecked span lying below the one which rests on supports; were there any notable floods in 1912? "

I don't believe that is what you're seeing in that photo, the leftside sloping span has been dismantled, the rightside truss as you state was moved upstream, on three flatcars#1094, #1088, #1092 pg56  Narrow Gauge Pictorial Vol-VIII, hence still intact.

The improved and rebuilt Conduit seen from upstream side....

http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/42500/rv/singleitem/rec/18

The same spot before construction (and later reconstruction) of the Conduit that crossed the Platte.
looking upstream, note the as yet uncompleted smaller tunnel for the conduit left of the Highline Canal tunnel.

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/9820/rv/singleitem/rec/51

looking downstream from the ridge

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/6939/rv/singleitem/rec/246

[Daniel Frauenhoff]

Thanks for the correction, Chris. The caption of the photograph I received does mention a 'wrecked span' though this must simply mean disassembled. Also, thanks for information on the flatcars used to transport the bridge to Intake; I did recall seeing that picture you mention though I could not remember the source. Given my current income level of 'broke college student' I only own a select few of the more common C&S books and must access the others in archives.

Here is a photograph I took of the modern conduit system in Waterton from the same vantage as Mr. Jackson's view:



Daniel

[Jim Courtney]

Here is the photo that Chris referenced, showing the bridge span loaded onto C&S flat cars, prior to movement, date May 6, 1912:


Derrell Poole and Ken Martin, Narrow Gauge Pictorial Volume VIII, page 56.


It looks like the 1902 coal cars weren't coupled together.


Another Denver Water Board photo from the same book, taken a year earlier, May 6, 1911:


Derrell Poole and Ken Martin, Narrow Gauge Pictorial Volume VIII, page 55.


1902 coal car 1090 has a very large cast valve for a load. An intake valve for "Intake"?


Finally, a few months after the bridge was moved, on July 29, 1912, another C&S special train with a Cooke 2-8-0 trailed by caboose 1007 transports huge pipe fittings, this time on rebuilt Peninsular flat cars 1050 and 1061.


Derrell Poole and Ken Martin, Narrow Gauge Pictorial Volume VIII, page 51.

[Robert McFarland]

Also check out OP-6256.

[Jim Courtney]

Earlier post edited to include additional photos.