D&RG Grading Through Platte Canyon...

Posted by chtrout on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/D-RG-Grading-Through-Platte-Canyon-tp14485.html

I have been conducting very detailed research regarding the D&RG "South Platte Extension" (aka Acequia Cut-Off") for which the Location Survey was completed on 1 May 1879 as far as Deckers, with at least preliminary grading starting almost immediately from "Platte Junction" (D&RG m.p. 13.7, now Wolhurst, just north of Acequia), and then all grading being discontinued in January 1882 approximately 4.7 miles short of Deckers, the latter being the end of the completed 1879 Location Survey.  The actual grading base camp was located at Acequia (D&RG m.p. 17.5), which for this reason, is sometimes confused as the starting point for the extension.

As I'm sure many fellow members are aware, the C&S later used brief segments of the dormant D&RG grade, first near Vincent (C&S m.p. 21.3 opposite Waterton) on the initial C&S approach to Little Willow Creek and what would become the 3.89-mile C&S "Silica Branch" (1909-1941).  They also used a segment of the dormant D&RG grade between South Platte and Nighthawk to become the 4.12-mile "Nighthawk Branch," which was proposed in 1899 and actually built in 1902, with service being discontinued in 1916.

In very general terms, the D&RG grading, after leaving "Platte Junction," dropped down to a sweeping curve and bridge over West Plum Creek (belowAcequia), again climbed back out of the West Plum Creek drainage, then generally following the terrain contours to make a relatively high-level entry into Platte Canyon just opposite of the Platte Canyon (Waterton) wye.  Nearly complete grading continued on throughout most of the canyon, first exchanging sides of the canyon with the DSP&P via a proposed high bridge near Mill Gulch (DSP&P "lower iron bridge") to the north side of the canyon, then once again exchanging sides of the canyon with the DSP&P in the rocky narrows just above Deansbury and the "upper iron bridge" via a proposed high bridge and tunnel and then continuing on the south side of the canyon until eventually returning to a near-river-level grade approximately 1.5 miles east of South Platte.  The only major gaps in the nearly-complete grading occurred first at the rocky ridgeline which would have required either a tunnel or deep rock cut high up on the ridgeline from the Highline Canal tunnel below, and the second significant gap occurred just above Deansbury where very expensive tunneling and bridgework would be required.  Most other segments of the grading were fully completed, or nearly so, and some even required significant rock retaining walls.

>> My question is this…  Has anyone been able to locate the original D&RG survey completed in May of 1879, or of the renewed survey activity from 1889, still based on the original 1879 survey?  Does anyone have any DSP&P right-of-way maps, C&S blueprints, or trackage diagrams that also show the D&RG grade or related construction data?   On a side note, the DSP&P had already been operating through the canyon for a full year before D&RG grading actually began.

(The ICC maps do show where the D&RG "Acequia Cut-Off" left the D&RG mainline nearly midway on what is now the Wolhurst sliding, as well as the very short segment of D&RG grade just west of Vincent, nearly opposite Waterton.