Dome Rock Switchstand

[ComoDepot]

Just another thought, a lot of wood was used in fencing during that period, before T Posts.

[Jeff Young]

> Just another thought, a lot of wood was used in fencing during that period, before T Posts.

I was thinking along the same lines since Jefferson was primarily a ranch support town.

[ComoDepot]

Bill Kasel was up here today, he mentioned there was a saw mill up Boreas Pass back in the days, Bristlecone Gulch, not sure where that is.

[Chris Walker]

In case I was mis-interpreted, I didn't mean that there were no sawmills, just I doubted sawn ties were the product especially around the time of the initial posted Dome Rock depot picture.  What mills there were would have been flat out supplying the voracious demand for cut lumber.  Photos of the destruction of the Goose Creek Dam failure show sawn ties in the track.

C-9 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/76209/rv/singleitem/rec/7


Later trackwork show a little deviation from the "standard" length rought hewn crosstie. Note the row of reversed spikes standing proud on the outside of the curve in additition to the guardrail and additional Railbraces.

CHS.J3535 http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/9739/rv/singleitem/rec/16


In these both photos, there are Jointbars on the Western side of Kenosha, the Eastside had Fisher Plates until the first rerailing.

[ComoDepot]

Photo's like this remind why speeds were so low.

Would be interesting to know why they were seemingly happy to accept such poor ties. The original investors made their money through the construction company, more track more returns?

[Chris Walker]

In one word Como, Expediency!  

Cheap labour, abundance of Timber and haste to reach Leadville.  Tie sizing and length which could be due to Tree species and size of standing timber close to the route of the DSP&P compared with those used on the D&RG etc.

Z-3420  http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/69820/rv/singleitem/rec/17 

[Jeff Young]

Wow.  That’s some collection of crossties!

[Chris Walker]

These from the http://www.parkcoarchives.org/online-resources/photos/

1920 hauling near Jefferson Creek to Fairplay

Park County Archives

Near Beaver Creek on the Platte R.

Park County Archives

1898 Sawmill in Lost Park.

Park County Archives

[Jeff Young]

Splendid, Chris!  Thanks for those.

This one is also interesting, as one of these gentlemen is the one that later lost his horse at Jefferson:


Park County Archives

Several of them mention the Almgren sawmill camp 5 miles NW of Jefferson, which makes me wonder if the lost horse ad's "saw mill at Jefferson" was short for the camp near Jefferson that everyone knew about....

Then again, I'm kind of excited to build a sawmill based on your second photo, so I might ignore that thought.

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Jim Courtney]

Chris,

Also a good view of 1879 "cross ties" a the summit of Kenosha in Don's new thread: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/What-was-at-Kenosha-Pass-td6004.html#a6025


Some of the "ties" on the new roadbed wouldn't make a respectable Texas fence post. And if the specs were "flat on two sides" they were just barely.

Jeff,

I think your Jefferson should certainly have a sawmill, perhaps something like this, possibly on a smaller scale as in the Park County image that Chris posted.






This S scale mill on Dale Kreutzer's layout was built by our friend, the late Armand Cyr.

Jim

[Keith Hayes]

Jim, a great model and I cannot help myself pointing out the harp stand mounted on a single tie.

But seriously, I have been impressed studying photos of the consistent and apparently lucrative business hauling mine props about. Seems like every other siding along the South Platte all the way to Keystone was engaged in loading mine props into coals for shipment to...? Though it will eat up a fair amount of wood, it would make an excellent modeling project and loading could be modeled adjacent to almost any siding.

[Chris Walker]

Keith Hayes wrote

Though it will eat up a fair amount of wood, it would make an excellent modeling project and loading could be modeled adjacent to almost any siding.

Economical use of Stripwood details here  http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/Freight-Cars-at-Baileys-1926-tp4824.html

[Keith Hayes]

I was thinking bamboo barbecue skewers might fill the bill.

Really, creating one master and making a hollow urethane casting is the way to go.

[Chris Walker]

Jeff Young wrote

Splendid,
Then again, I'm kind of excited to build a sawmill based on your second photo, so I might ignore that thought.

Cheers,
Jeff.

Jeff, the small one on the Platte is exactly like the sort I want to recreate here for my Firewood Mill at the end of my Tramway, I was "raised" on the sawmill/logging models of Jack Work in the 1960's and another was the inspiration for the "Danby" Sawmill kitset offered in the 1980's by Keystone Locomotive Works.   Just the sort of building that would be on the outskirts of town where nobody pointed the camera.


Andre Zelkin Photo