Re: Kokomo

Posted by Jim Courtney on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Kokomo-tp1652p1743.html

Jeff,

Your right, "looking North, down the valley, from Recen" is correct.

Since you're modeling 1926, some more stuff you may not have seen:

First, a view of the depot in its original habitat from the George Diary, dated 1913:



I scanned this from the Klingers' Platte Canon Memories . . . book.  The photo citation is "George Diary -- Denver Public Library, Western History Department Collection"  but I have yet to find it on the DPL site; perhaps Sadie George's fabulous photos haven't yet all been digitalized.

Anyway, note that the view is the same as the view that Chris posted of the engine and caboose, though in warmer weather.  The two small trestles cross Tenmile Creek (foreground), then Kokomo Creek further down toward the depot.
Note also that the depot has been painted a lighter color than in Doug's early photo, perhaps the Trumbull revival light grey with dark green trim scheme of 1905-1908.


Next are three photos of the depot in its later location, all scanned from Kindig, R.H., et al, Pictorial Supplement to the Denver South Park & Pacific,  Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, Devner, 1959.



This photo is from the late teens, photographer unknown, Elmore Wehrley Collection.  Note the coal car on the spur leading downtown to the former depot location, barely clearing the mainline.  Note also the "Como" spark arrestor on the engine and the board attached to the front of the headlight to protect the glass from snow.

The following two photos are by the same photographer, not identified, both from the "Recen Collection".  I believe the date is about 1924-25, for reasons I will discuss below.  The photos are of a multiple engine train working hard upgrade toward Leadville.



The two lead engines are numbers 71 and 75 per the caption.  Note that the lettering on the boxcars is illegible, but the location of the lettering on the first 3 cars doesn't fit with either the C&S block or later 1926 scheme.  I believe that these are not yet rebuilt D&RG boxcars in the pre 1924 block lettering scheme, the first perhaps a 4000 series car, the others 3000 series.  

I have seen a couple of other photos from as late as the early 1920s with D&RG boxcars in the consist, always in the Dillon, Keystone, Tenmile Canyon area.  Perhaps, per the 1910-11 joint operating agreement, the C&S was still handling the D&RG's remaining Blue River branch business, using the former's trains and trackage and the latter's rolling stock.

The outfit car behind the depot is a 30 foot Peninsular boxcar;  John Maxwell's plan C-22 of that car states that frame dimensions were taken from C&S 7660 (UP 24,520) at Kokomo.

Note also the modern looking tower on the hillside in the background--I don't know if this some sort of tram tower, or an electric power transmission line running up to the expanding Climax mine operation.



As the train passed the photographer, he turned to his right and caught both engines about to enter the big cut, covered by the snow shed.  The big trestle over the D&RG grade and Tenmile Creek are just on the other side of the shed. Note the little piles of cinders by the track.

By the way, Jeff, in what scale are you modeling Kokomo?