Header Photo #71

[Mike Trent]

I am quite interested in the header photo of #71 at what appears to be Golden.

Do we know when this photo was taken? It appears to be in Clear Creek service, and has to have been after dismatling operations on the Mainline.

You will note that the engine features the striped running boards and drivers that it had when delivered (freshly painted) to Blackhawk for display at Central City in 1941. Also of note with respect to #71, it does not have it's snowplow.

Doug Schnarbush, who said he fired #71 more than any other engine during his years on the West End until 1937 told me that when he saw the old girl displayed at Central City, that was the first time he ever saw it without a snowplow. Sure enough, I have not found a photo of #71 dated between 1927 and 1937 that shows #71 without a plow. There may be a few out there, but I haven't seen one. Doug probably never saw #71 during dismantling, as he had moved his family from Como to Denver to find work at Goodyear.

Anyway, this is a great shot. Where did it come from? Had to have been 1940 or maybe even 1941?

The B-4-E's were rarely used on the Clear Creek Branch prior to 4/37.

[Chris Walker]

Mineral Belt 3 has 2 pictures dated 30th May '39 showing the #71 running a train in Clear Creek.  Upgrade shot has the scoop hanging on the tankside, and on the return at the Huntsman Br. it's still there with a waterbag present as well.  No plow visible either.

[John Schapekahm]

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[Mike Trent]

Interesting. Thanks.

#71 was one of the engines on the last Leadville freight, and was stored at Dickey with #8 and #69 until something like August '38. It still had it's plow in Dickey in '38.

As you all must know, after months in dead storage next to the depot, they fired up #71 and #69 and hauled #8 dead back to Como.

The plow was probably taken off in Como and then used for dismantling the line over Boreas. Must have been tarted up with the white striping and put into service on the Clear Creek branch shortly afterward. I really hadn't thought about it having actually been in service with all that striping. Or if I was once aware of it, I had long ago forgotten.

[Doug Heitkamp]

Mike,

The source I got the photo from dates it as May of 1939.

Doug

[Rick Steele]

The header photo was taken a couple of years before the Locomotive went on display.

The train that took the 71, gon and combine to Black Hawk to be put on display used two live locomotives. The 71 and attendant equipment was dolled up and 71 was hauled dead from Denver to Black Hawk.

That wonderful header photo shows 71 when it was making legitimate revenue for the Clear Creek lines. The mines were still shipping as shown by all of the empty gons lined up to go to Black Hawk and Idaho Springs.

Rick

[Derrell Poole]

There is one detail in the header photo I find interesting; its no great revelation but something to keep in mind when you model a post 1918 water tank on your layout. That would be the pile of cinders washed away from the track right under 71's cinder tube.

Okay there are a lot of details I find interesting but I am only inspired to speak of this one. And I won't have a single cinder tube on my layout....

[Mike Trent]

Thanks, Derrell. I noticed the cinders but hadn't made the connection.