Photos of C&S 6, 9 and 40 at derailment in snow, c1912

[Jim Courtney]

Just listed on eBay is a lot of three vintage photos showing the action around the derailment of C&S 9 in the snow, with C&S 6 and a passenger train stuck in a snow drift and a work train powered by Cooke C&S 40 attempting to retrieve the number 9.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Colorado-Southern-Ry-Narrow-Gauge-Steam-Locomotive-train-snapshot-photo-lot-/232076107941?hash=item3608d060a5:g:SdEAAOSwdIFX0g1U


The photos are undated, but I'm guessing about 1912-1913, given the "Como" spark arrestor and modern sanders on the number 9, and the lack of the "Como" spark arrestor on the other two engines. The number 9 hasn't received an electric generator nor electric headlight--it still carries an arc headlight with the pull down curtain housing on top.

Also, the big snowstorm of the 20th century for the C&S was in January, 1913.

Anyone know where this derailment occurred? I first thought of the Maddox road crossing derailment, but number 70 was also involved and it is no where to be seen in the photos. The fact that number 9 is derailed speaks of a location in Platte Canon, or at least Denver to Como.

Jim

[South Park]

  The telegraph line is key, but I find it confusing for the 3rd wire.  The main from
Denver to BV was 4 wires from 1884-on, even more after the WU rebuild of 1919.

  The Boreas line to Leadville was two wires, as was the BV-to-Gunnison line (the
latter would have been closed beyond Hancock by this time.

  But the 3rd wire baffles me.  Two of the insulators are standard-issue original construction
CD 133.4 Hemingray No.3 "bullets", and the 3rd is a CD 126.4 WU unit, also common
as replacement glass on the South Park lines after the UP takeover.

  Is it possible this is on the Clear Creek side of operations ???  I do not recognize
the buildings either.  Another thing that makes me think it is not on the line to Leadville/
Gunnison.

[Chris Walker]

#9 is off track at the Chalmers Ranch between Red Hill and Garos.  Buildings in background are the key and home to fine Goats as well.

2386 - Arthur/Chalmers Ranch.

Park County Archives

[Jim Courtney]

Wow, Chris!

You certainly have a talent for remembering obscure details of vintage photos (especially if there are goats in the image).

So this is fascinating.  Why is number 9 off the rails south of Como, away from her usual stomping grounds in Platte Canon, on the passenger run?  Did she take a turn on the Alma mixed?  Or was number 6, in the same series of photos, running the Alma mixed and got stuck in the snow?  Perhaps number 9, with her pilot plow, was dispatched light to rescue number 6 and train, but ended up in the snowy ditch.

Have you noticed that number 9 seemed to have trouble staying on the rails when it snowed?  I can recall two other winter derailments involving number 9: At Maddox (with number 70) and at Dillon, both in the 1910-1915 era.

And studying the photo of number 9, the injector on the engineer's side is located outside / forward of the cab, between the cab and air pump--I don't recall any other rebuilt Cooke with this arrangement.

Jim

[Jim Courtney]

The accompanying photo on eBay of number 40 and work train attempting to rescue the derailed number 9 is also fascinating:



Looks like there is a derailed boxcar, on its side, to the left of work box 051.


And has anyone ever seen a photo of Cooke 2-8-0 number 40 before?






I can't make out a generator on number 40 either, and the domes appear rounded on top like those on number 9.  The headlight is also interesting, looks to be one of the early CB&Q box style headlights, with the protruding housing for the circular glass, the short cylindrical vent on top and the wedge-o-cheese number board above the lens housing.  It is the same style seen in Otto Perry photos in the late teens to mid-1920s on several engines, surviving on number 69 until abandonment.

This photo suggests that this type of headlight was in use quite early, before mandated electrical headlights.

Jim

[South Park]

  I have been hungry for photos of the Como-BV track, ... particularly the track WEST
of Garos forever.  It seems some sections of the line held no interest (or easy access)
for early day photographers, but Chris' PID on the buildings explains a lot ...

Wire No.1 to BV
Wire No.2 to Gunnison
Wire No.3 to Alma

  All photos I can think of showing lines west of Como are either post-1919 WU
rebuild or do not show the pole line construction.  

  Very interesting piece of the puzzle to finally fit into place.  Great work, guys !  

[Jim Courtney]

Well, we might as well discuss the 3rd photo in the eBay lot, C&S number 6 and train stuck in the snow:




Looking at it more closely, it also seems to be c1910-1913:  No "Como" spark arrestor on number 6, still has arc headlight with pull-down curtain enclosure, markers at each side of the front of the smoke box.

Number 6 appears to be pulling at least a two car (maybe more) passenger train, the first car a platform-less RPO or baggage car, so I doubt this photo is of the Alma mixed and likely unrelated to the other two photos.

The mountains in the background and the broad valley to the left, suggest to me the east side of Boreas Pass looking down the Tarryall.

How about it, Chris, any goats hiding in the snow to better locate the photo??

[Robert McFarland]

Is this the ranch that in recent times has/had a sign saying "Arthurs,Colorado" on it?

[Chris Walker]

Jim,

that's a pretty hard call for an id given the deterioration of the photo and all that damned snow but the background smacks of Red Hill somewhere around the #285 road crossing....but that's only a first guess on my behalf, ie I haven't gone looking elsewhere due to mental overload today.

Here's Red Hill after abandonment...

OP-6412  


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/44216/rv/singleitem/rec/24

[South Park]

  Red Hill is actually facing the opposite direction from that photo.  In
this view, the tracks curve off to the right around the far hill and go to
Como.

[ComoDepot]

Agree, assume the photographer was standing on Hwy 8/ US 285. Date says 1945 so 7 years after the track was pulled up, for some reason it looks longer.

I have not walked it but going towards Garo I was told there are still ties etc in situ.

[South Park]

  I am curious how long the WU telegraph line was kept in service
between Denver and BV after the C&S pulled up the rails.  Anyone
know ?

[Robert McFarland]

There is a location photo of Red Hill on page 119 of CRA 12.Check out the telegraph line.There is some sort of a resort or a  camp at this approximate  location now.

[ComoDepot]

http://americansafariranch.com/

The Depot was before you get to the Ranch.

[Robert McFarland]

Could you please take a picture of the location?

[ComoDepot]

Next time I head that way.