Hear the man who piloted the last rotary through Alpine Tunnel

[Kurt Maechner]

I came across an amazing gem via the Colorado Railroad Museum website.  

On April 21, 1958, Mac Poor, famed author of DSP&P and co-author of the Pictorial Supplement to the DSP&P, recorded the audio of an interview between himself and George Champion, the man who piloted the final rotary snowplow through Alpine Tunnel.  This journey occurred between December 31, 1909 and January 4, 1910.

It is stunning to hear from a man who was there along with hearing Poor's voice as the two record this historical memory for posterity.  You can listen to it on this post.

Enjoy!

[South Park]

  That is awesome !  I remember reading/hearing stories of hard winter
railroading on the South Park and D&RG when I was a kid.  Brakemen
falling off the train, their bodies found in the spring when the snow
melted, ...  just insanely harsh conditions and equally insane dedication
to the job.  I laugh at how few people would have what it takes to do those
things today, and found inspiration during some rough times when I was
deployed to just buckled down and power through it.

  Thanks for sharing that.  Great stuff.

[Dave Eggleston]

It was fascinating to hear who got bunks vesus who slept in the coach or cab, finding a cabin in Hancock, the lack of meals, repairing the snow knives and the cows. How many of us model cow bones left along the ROW after the snow melted?

[South Park]

Too many years have passed for me to remember where I heard/read
this story, but it has been a motivational inspiration for me since I was
a teen.  The basic story was a train was caught on the west side, when
a big storm closed the tunnel for the season, trapping a number of the
railroad's largest locomotives.  Some crew went over to the D&RG depot
to request permission to take their train/s over Marshall and up the Arkansas
to Buena Vista and on to home track.  They were informed that 11 D&RG
trains were snowbound and the line blocked, but offered permission to buck
the line if they liked.  They did, and 40 days after leaving Como, returned
home.

Now, for those who understand steam operation, snow bucking, and the
terrain in question, it is mind boggling to try and grock what these guys
did, let alone find anyone today willing to push themselves that hard for
that long to accomplish a mission.  I spent 10 weeks out on a mission
without a shower or change of clothes in 130º heat and that was miserable.
But Marshall Pass in winter, keeping the engines moving and hot, 24/7 ???
No mention was ever made of food supplies or where they slept, or how
they scheduled that, but FORTY DAYS of that ?!!!!  WOW!  Those were
some tough SOB's !

[Chris Walker]

Sth'Park,

the story you refer to is in Poor's D.SP&P., in Chapter XX on Personal Reminiscences by Ed Haley. (pg371 Memorial Ed.)

[Jim McKee]

George Champion
George Champion was born on February 22, 1884 in Jefferson, Colorado.  He had apparently left home by the time the 1900 U.S. was being taken (June 1900).  His family was recorded in the census as living in Como, but he was not recorded as living at home, or anywhere else in Park County for that matter.

He apparently began working for the C&S in 1901.  In 1906 he married Mary “Mayme” Delaney (born in December 1884), whose family lived in Como.  She was the older sister (by 9 years) of Joe Delaney.  Joe went to work as a fireman and later engineer on the C&S.  The marriage record is shown below.  The ages of George and Mayme on the record are incorrect for reasons unknown.



The U.S Census for 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 show the Champions living in Denver:
George W. Champion
1910 2743 W 35th Ave., Denver – Machinist, Railroad, married 3 years to Mayme, 2 children
1920 2636 W 35th Ave., Denver – Machinist, Auto garage, married 13 years to Mayme, 2 children
1930 2636 W 35th Ave., Denver – Mechanic, Auto garage, married 23 years to Mayme, 3 children
1940 2636 W 35th Ave., Denver  – Mechanic, Forest Service, married 33 years to Mayme, 3 children

George’s 1940 Draft registration card is shown below.



The home at 2636 West 35th Ave., Denver is shown as being owned, with an estimated value in 1940 of $2,500.  The home still exists – see the link below.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/2636-W-35th-Ave-Denver,-CO,-80211_rb/58684687_zpid/

In later years, the Champions apparently lived in Como.  Both George and Mayme are buried in the cemetery at Como.