Shipping from Climax

[Mike Trent]

I believe I remember reading, from Tom Klinger, I believe, that molybdenum was shipped out of Climax in 600 lb. barrels. Which raises some questions.

I have measured model barrels that I have here, and have determined, if they are reasonably accurate, that it would be possible to floor load 38 barrels in a Type 3 boxcar.  38X600lbs, equals 22,800lbs, or 11.4 tons.

If barrels could be doubled, or stacked, the combined capacity would be 22.8 tons well below the capacity limit of 25 tons.    

Do we know how these barrels were loaded at Climax? Those would be a pretty heavy load to manage on the ground, let alone lifting to stack them. And 79 barrels per car is a pretty big task. Would they have run them through a warehouse, using gravity to move the loaded cars out for pickup and empty cars in for loading? How many cars might be loaded in a days time?

Another question is, were the barrels manufactured at Climax, or were they shipped empty to Climax?

I'd never really thought about operations at Climax, but it must have been quite extensive.

[Chris Walker]

Hi Mike,

two posts of mine referencing this question.
http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/C-S-74-Entering-Leadville-tp17245p17258.html   and one more, further down.

New Barrels were shipped in knocked down and coopered together before filling.  Barrels were either rolled, or sack-barrowed into cars, and tough guys probably stacked 'em(heavy planks help elevating to the next stack up).
Amount shipped would be dependent on what year, before or after the Mill upgrades.

[Keith Hayes]

That makes a lot of sense, Chris. Climax is about mining grey rock, not sawing wood and forging barrel bands. I guess the concentrate doesn't require the tightness of a whisky barrel, so I guess assembling barrels from parts strikes the balance between getting the parts reasonably compactly and not taking too much time to assemble.

I also figure they would put as many barrels in the car as they had orders for and the car could take.

The epiphany that Climax was a destination for so many different products has been a breakthrough for me: barrels for the product, mining equipment, lumber, cement, groceries, gas, just all sorts of stuff and boxcars of concentrate going out. I was just thinking the other day that I can justify stockcars going to the mine, but loaded with lumber instead of steaks on the hoof. I am thinking there will be three tracks, each with a capacity of 4-6 cars, so the mine job can easily switch 10 cars. It really makes sense that if 16 cars left Denver, at least 10 cars went to the mine, with 4 cars of coal and another 2 cars for other destinations.

[Chris Walker]

Keith,

Beef sides in Reefers for the Commissary, and also don't forget, Coal was off-loaded at Wortmans.

[Mike Trent]

Thanks  Chris and Keith! And Tom!
Most interesting.

I assume Andy graduated from school after abandonment in '37?

[Mike Trent]

Thanks  Chris and Keith! And Tom!
Most interesting.

I assume Andy graduated from school after abandonment in '37?

[Southpark]

Andy Anderson did graduate from high school in Como and worked for the C&S at Leadville in '35 or '36.  Talked of shoveling out switches.  Had to shovel down so far and then get down on the bottom of that hole and dig down to the switch its self.  Also talked of transloading  ore concintrates  in barrels(like a 55 gal steel drum not wood) into standard gauge cars at Leadville.  I did read at some time that Japan was buying the processed ore and that drums were than used to make mines for the war.  That would need to be "proven" as a fact I think.  Andy did a student trip or 2 on the ATSF steam out of Denver but did not get the job.  Left the area but by time the war started he was #1 at Como so he joined (20 years I think) and came back to Colorado.  He was a watchman of the engines at Dickey in the summer of '37 as scrapping got underway. Tom Klinger.