What was at Kenosha Pass?

[Don Gustavson II]

Was there any thing interesting at Kenosha Pass?
Been looking around the forum and internet.
I see there was a Y there. A nice view maybe. And some Moose. Was there any buildings, water tower, snow fences, ranch, section house. Any thing to model other then a Y. I ask because I was already going to put a Y in a spot on the layout, that now I realize could be Kenosha. If I did this. the Y would have a bridge in it.. (Can't be perfect).

[Jeff Young]

There was at least a depot at one point.  Don’t know about other stuff, but someone here should….

(I believe the railroad referred to it as Kenosha Hill.)

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Jim Courtney]

Hey Don,

Surprisingly few photos of the RR facilities, most photographers wanted to take in the views to east and west.

Valuation Map:


From the Klingers' Platte Canon Memories . . ., page 192.


So, quite a lot to model: Small depot (train order office?) between the legs of the wye, large one story section house, bunk house, tool house, and snow fencing. Two sidings for setting out cuts of cars as freights "doubled the hill" and a wye for turning helpers.

The current Forest Service road from Hwy 285 to the campgrounds at the end of the restored wye run right over the location of the little depot.


Construction era view of depot looking back to the east, summer 1879. Looks like venison for dinner:




Later view of depot during the UP ownership days, late 1880s to 1890s:


Both prior photos from Kindig, et al, The Pictorial Supplement to the DSP&P, page 276


Finally a blurry enlargement of an overview of Kenosha looking westbound, from the little lake to the east of the yards:


Richard B Jackson photo from Colorado Rail Annual 12, page 245.


Kenosha is a beautiful place to visit, the views spectacular, and you can walk the grade of most of the former yard, all the way down to the little lake to the east.

Jim

[Jeff Young]

Ahh… I forgot about Colorado Rail Annual #12.  I must browse that one again….

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Don Gustavson II]

Jim, Thanks! this is great.
Now I have to go and stare at that corner of the layout and contemplate what to do. Or what can be done with this new knowledge.
Logistically on the layout it is a good place for a stop. There is however already a bridge on the main line that would become a leg of the wye. That will stay.

I ask myself... Based on how much I have to fudge history, use creative license out of necessity. At what point can I no longer call it the place I wanted to try and re-create. (Well.. it is 5% like the real place. Use your imagination for the other 95% and we all will be happy.)

There is a lower section of the layout to contended with. The wye I was going to put in was probably going to have a George Town loop kind of bridge that goes over the lower section of the layout. I may have to stick to that plan.

That fact that it would be a wye you can turn locomotives around on, it is up the grade from Como, and I could build the depot based off the pictures. Put in the Section house and tool shed I had to remove from the Boreas Pass section of the layout. And squeeze in a pond.  Maybe that is enough to make me feel okay to call it Kenosha Pass. Oh, and some Aspen Trees and a Moose.

Thanks again Jim.


   

[Jim Courtney]

Does it have to be Kenosha?

Could it be Boreas instead?  Where does the mainline go after reaching the summit with the wye?

Either way, the summit with siding and wye adds operational possibilities--you could double a freight train from Como to Kenosha / Boreas, taking a first cut of 6 or 7 cars to the summit, leave them on a siding, turn the engines and return to Como for the second cut of cars. Climbing the grade a second time, reassembling the train, releasing the helper(s) eastbound to Denver or back to Como, doubles the time for one train to proceed on its way.

Twice as much fun with one train!

Jim

[Jim Courtney]

Don,

To get a better feel of Kenosha, here are some color views from my last visit, summer 2015.

Two views looking east toward Denver, from the restored tail of the wye:






The mainline east skirts the little lake just to the left of the lake, the grade faintly visible.  The bunk house and tool house would have been at the left frame, the site now covered by the parking area, just this side of Hwy 285.

Looking south at the tail track of the wye (pardon the sun flair on my lens):





Looking back to the west toward Como:






The last image is from the siding in front of the little depot -- the depot would have been located ahead, under the Forest Service road.

Jim

[Don Gustavson II]

Again. Thanks Jim for the Pictures and info.
After looking over the layout last night. I think I can build Kenosha.
I will have to modify a little more of the original layout pictured on the left. Was going to have to do some modification no mater what anyway.
The lower section with the green wood area is stuff we are adding.

A quick sketch of my idea.

The Red lines will be new track. I will put in one siding.  I will need to flatten out some scenery (Light green area). Add a bridge to the new leg of the wye. Also all three legs of the wye will have to be "through" tracks. I should have room for a station, section house, tool building, snow fence (already have some), and pond.  I could add a patch of Aspen trees on the near end of the wye. So it could looks like it ends in the trees. May add a little bit of logging equipment on the siding to add to operation options. Want to have a source for a saw mill and the lumber yard on the standard gauge layout.

Going off to the right will be the Palisades and hopefully part of Alpine station. I know not geographically correct.But more on that another day.
 
On the bottom level there is going to be a coal transfer. Narrow gauge on the top and Duel gauge on the bottom. Again adds to operation options. On the bottom right of this picture is a hand built "thingy". Not sure what it is called. It splits the standard gauge and narrow gauge.   No moving parts. I used a frog juicer on it. I will post other pictures of it someday.


Not sure when I will get to this project. As we have a train show in October. Don't want to tear up existing layout at this point in time.

[Jeff Young]

Looks like a plan, Don.

I wouldn't worry too much about geographically-correct; it’s too limiting.  My philosophy is that if a scene is recognisable by someone on this list, then it’s good enough.  Put the scenes in the right order when you can (dropping out whatever you’re not modelling in between), but even if you can’t then no big deal.

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Don Gustavson II]

Over the weekend I built this. I know it is not real pretty.
Have never built a Wye turnout before. And especially one with a curve in it. So I had no real template to go by. I know it is not a stub switch, did not want to push my luck. I think there is a good chance of it working. Will find out.  


I have started working again on this area of the layout. Not sure how much it is going to turn out like Kenosha or not. I hope by the end of tonight I will have a more firm plan in place. Have to work with the space available and the existing layout.

[Don Gustavson II]

Sorry for another ugly picture. But I want to post an update.
Piecing together left over road bed from the original layout. And adding in bits to make it all work.
Once I am done I will have road bed for Kenosha pass. And a lot of it will already have hand laid track on it.
I will hand lay and build turnouts myself for it. I think the bridge will get moved over to the St Elmo area, so that I can make this area more flat. Going to need a bunch of aspens

This is just a test fit of the road bed I had got together by the end of the night.
I will be reusing a few buildings/cabins  I have that were built for Boreas pass.

[Don Gustavson II]

Got the track work and wiring done.
Started building some support for the land and lake.
Nice to be able to start working on this again.

You can see trains running here in this video. At about 12 minutes in.
https://youtu.be/zqe_veEoSyM?t=739