Re: Coal and Water (on the South Park)

Posted by Jim Courtney on Feb 23, 2015; 10:26pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Coal-and-Water-on-the-South-Park-tp1381p1399.html

According to Poor in his Denver, South Park . . ., Grant, MP 66.15, at one time had a 47,500 gallon tank that was removed "prior to 1912".  

Since Grant was only 3 miles below Webster, the tank spacing here is pretty close.  I suspect westbound trains may have added additional helpers here for Kenosha, as light engines assigned as helpers could come over from Como and turn on the wye (none at Webster), take water and also coal if needed (Poor list a 13 x 363 foot coal bin as well).  Or, when Kenosha was blockaded with snow, this might have been as far west as trains got during some winter months.

From the one photo of Grant that that I've ever seen that includes the tank, an 1880 photo on page 183 of Mineral Belt I, the tank and coal bin appear to be at the far east end of the siding that was on the south side of the main.

Derrell published an article in the 2006 CNGQ, stating that the tank and original coaling bin were removed between 1893 and 1894.  Curious, it seems that the tank would have been convenient in later years, as the "Fish Trains" usually tied up on Sunday night at Grant, turned and returned to Denver the following morning.