Identify this C&S Location . . .

[Jim Courtney]

I'm considering bidding on this C&S photo currently listed on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jefferson-CO-Nearby-Run-of-Track-of-Colorado-Southern-Railway-1936-/122521560089?hash=item1c86daa419:g:aKQAAOSwfRdZLCff





The photo is dated August of 1936, likely taken from the back platform of the passenger train.

The location is listed as "near Jefferson", but the scenery doesn't look anything like the South Park or Kenosha. Somewhere on Boreas perhaps?

At the curve in the distance, there appears to be a possible track switch and some structure to the left, inside the curve:





I'm starting to think this is in Tenmile Canon, looking south at the north end of Solitude siding, maybe with the sheep pens visible in the blurry enlargement.

Any other convincing ideas?

[South Park]

It is Ten Mile Cañon, near Solitude.  The two wire telegraph tells us it is
the Leadville branch, and the mountains do not look like this on Boreas.

[Chris Walker]

39.475309, -106.131427
Looking back towards Fremont Pass, Jim.

[Jeff Young]

My first guess was Wheeler Flats, but Chris and South Park are right: definitely Solitude.

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Jim Courtney]

Jeff,

I think Solitude and Wheeler are the same place, Wheeler being the D&RG station name. In the photo at the top of the thread, there is a hint of the old D&RG grade at the right frame, probably a dirt road by 1936.

Chris posted the famous Jackson view of Wheeler with the D&RG mixed taking water on Jimmy's Blue River thread:

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/37652/rv/singleitem/rec/13



The peaks in the background seem to match up.  As does this view looking toward Fremont Pass from the north end of Solitude siding, another Chris Walker contribution:

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/72283/rv/singleitem/rec/1



A better view of insulators for S.P. to study . . .


The 1936 photo seems to catch the peak above Climax to the right. Perhaps the location is somewhat south of Solitude, between Solitude and Kokomo (beyond the distant curve in the third photo).

[South Park]

  More interesting than the insulators is the twisted pair drop line on the close pole.
Had there been a "phone booth" at this location at some point ?  Did crews regularly
hook up a temporary telegraph key on this drop ?  Perhaps with the frequency of
avalanches in this area, these ready drops were set up for emergency coms ???

[Jeff Young]

Hi Jim,

Interesting, I didn’t realize Wheeler station was at Solitude.  However, I still think Wheeler Flats (as in the ranch, not the RR location) was still a couple of miles north.

Hi South Park,

If it weren’t at a siding, I’d guess avalanche emergency coms.  However, given that it is at the siding I’d be 50:50 between that and just a temporary telegraph key drop.

I can’t recall ever seeing a phone booth on the High Line.  (Curtin might have been another logical location with the power plant and section house, and no station building.)

Cheers,

Jeff.

PS: is this one at Jefferson a phone booth or an outhouse?

[Chris Walker]

'tis a Dunny, Jeff....or was...

X-9573
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/10006/rv/singleitem/rec/4

[Keith Hayes]

Chris, was there a privy at the Leadville depot grounds? Was it by the shed west of the depot? Just another detail to keep track of.

[Jim Courtney]

Another variation of outhouse for Jeff to model.

[South Park]

  It would make no sense to have a "phone booth" in Jefferson
when a 30' walk would put a user IN the depot to use the key
inside.  

  As a privy digger, one of the "sciences" of locating long-gone
outhouses is to consider the prevailing wind direction.  Knowing
Jefferson as I do, that privy is located EXACTLY where I would
expect it to be located .....  DOWN wind from the depot !  

[Jim Courtney]

Another current eBay listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Railroad-Photo-Colorado-Southern-Railroad-Track-Lines-Near-Birdseye-in-1936-/122533957282?hash=item1c8797cea2:g:HgsAAOSwsXFZNV9T

Appears to be by the same photographer, on the same date, again from the rear of the passenger train.




The notation on the back of the photo lists the location as "Near Birdseye", on the Highline west of Fremont Pass.

To me, it looks to be somewhere between Frisco and Dickey, looking back toward Frisco and the mouth of Tenmile canon.

Thoughts?

[Jimmy Blouch]

Yes, looking back towards Frisco, Mt Royal in back ground

Jimmy

[Chris Walker]

Yes Keith, the outhouse was there in the R.B.Jackson picture showing the last Passenger train out, pg145 C&Sng by Mal Ferrell, pg227   South Park Line CRRA#12 but not in his earlier 1929 photo pg215 South Park Line CRRA#12.  Interesting to note the East stub track ended with chained timbers across the rails in '29 but had dirt and rocks by '37.  The South end depot signboard was also much weathered by '37.