Speculation on the Gilpin Tramway at the Black Hawk Roundhouse.

Posted by Chris Walker on Feb 02, 2023; 12:53pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Speculation-on-the-Gilpin-Tramway-at-the-Black-Hawk-Roundhouse-tp18403.html

For a number of years I have had this suspicion about this mystery Structure visible in one Harry Lake photo of 1899, the neat Hidden Treasure Mill image.  Yes, I have interests outside of Idaho Springs.  

Denver Public Library Special Collections L-50


It has been mentioned by many Gilpin Tramway Experts and like-minded followers, in-person discussions on my USA trips that there was a Tank "at", or "inside" the Roundhouse.  This has never been confirmed visually to my knowledge.
Sanborn Fire Map 1895


I had always thought it odd, that any of the Shays, engaged in roadwork or switching would have to thread the Roundhouse trackage to refill their small tanks, or proceed downtown to the C&S W.T.

Whilst perusing the Lake picture, in digital format I was intrigued that what looked at first glance to be a Mine Orebin, didn't have the elements of such structures.  Others had said that there was a Mine "there" and most certainly in later years, an actual Orebin structure.  Keith Pashina once showed me his image of that but there were a number of details that didn't match what I'm seeing in the Lake photo, and that was fed by a long ore-slide from above.


Note that the located Adit (>----------) and Ore Vein are at least one Contour level above the Gilpin Trackage.  This corresponds with the visible dump in the same general area in the Lake photo.

As the New Zealand Railways liked their rectangular Watertanks, and one in particular survived that I ran past regularly, I have that shape etched into my mind's eye, and that didn't gel.
One day an Artist friend showed me a way to dissassemble the items of interest. She called it Structural Element Isolation Analysis Technique.

Taking a comparative angled view of an Orebin.  
Denver Public Library Special Collections L-300






Taking a comparative angled view of a wooden watertank of the retangular( not square) variety for example.
Denver Public Library Special Collections MCC-4899







Note: there appears to be a well-defined low angled Spout and Tree, just like one would expect to see, and no resemblance to a Chute-gate sloping outwards.

Just another comparative element reinforcement view.


I'm still bothered by this, if I'm off by a mile or right on the nail, the elements just don't match an Orebin.  Just what Keith thought about this, I can't remember nor did I have a chance to discuss it with Dan Abbott either.  
I'm a bit late to the party on this, I'm afraid.