Leadville Engine Servicing

[John McCutcheon]

Can anybody tell me how engines were serviced in Leadville and what type of servicing was done. I take it one way engines were serviced in Leadville was to transfer coal from an adjacent gondola. I cannot locate a picture showing servicing other than some general roundhouse shots. I think in another tread the standpipe was down near the depot. I have all the C&S books please tell me where I might locate this information.

[Keith Hayes]

City water at the depot and a building wither caboose supplies.

At the roundhouse, there was coal, sand, and there must have been lube and oil. In the morning the crews must have dropped the ashes, topped off the tender, filled the oil cans and sand dome and made a run to the depot for water.

Crews must have gotten up early for this routine as the railfans tend to only have photos of the trains leaving town in the morning. There are some pics of locos on the turntable, and engines stored on the roundhouse tracks and that is about it.

[Mike Trent]

Actually, there were two hostlers at Leadville who serviced the engines. The crews left upon arrival at Leadville. They bunked overnight if the next call was the following morning, or returned to Como if not. Charlie Williamson, killed in #75 in the rollover on Boreas in '36 was the only engineman who lived in Leadville during mainline operations.

The hostlers could have had up to 5, or as few as two engines hot on any particular night.

I asked Doug Schnarbush about this once, he couldn't offer much detail. But photos show multiple engines spotted near the standpipe at the depot awaiting the morning Eastbound freight. So they were there for water, and could have been taken there coupled together from the roundhouse, where they would have been kept overnight.

My best guess is the enginemen reported to the roundhouse, and took the engines down to top them off, and await orders. The conductor assigned placement and order of the engines according to Doug. That was undoubtadly how helpers were assigned, but I'm sure the road engine was already determined by seniority.

[Mike Trent]

Speaking of Engine Servicing, here is a picture taken this morning as Extra #74-#73-#75 West left Dickey with the first appearance of the flanger for the season. Snow on the divide and frosty temps greeted everyone this morning. There will be a run tomorrow morning, so the engine crews will bunk in the Leadville tenements tonight, and the hostlers will be busy.