Re: Speculation on the Gilpin Tramway at the Black Hawk Roundhouse.

Posted by Chris Walker on Feb 05, 2023; 12:39am
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Speculation-on-the-Gilpin-Tramway-at-the-Black-Hawk-Roundhouse-tp18403p18409.html

Thanks for popping in, adding your thoughts, and the orebin photo,  Keith.   

I knew I'd forget to elaborate my position when getting around to posting this, would you believe I've been mulling this over since isolating the structural componants in 2016.
I should have said additional Watertank location; there'd be no reason to replace the existing cistern at/in the Enginehouse, boiler wash and prep. duties would require it.  The Sanborn Fire map notation F.P + hose; I presume firepump run off the vertical boiler mentioned.

What I was trying to convey was the operational difficulties of relying on the enginehouse location would lead to finding a solution. This thought was after discussion of the location scenario with 3 old steam Enginedrivers I once worked with.   (on Diesels, eh!  )

While their respective experiences were here with a Government railway(one had been the Relief Fireman for the whole lower South Is. in the 1960's), they did stress that the Gilpin arrangement would have been extremely frustrating to work, at the very least.
And I would have to say it may very well depended on just how the Shays were customarily stabled: we did at my first Loco Depot with the locos used daily there, the Shunter and road units usually occupied the very same spots week in, week out; we only had 3 tracks too.

The Lake L-50 Hidden Treasure Mill photograph is supposed to be 1899; the only other Warminghouse image is the Shay #3-#1-#2 portrait, (Gilpin Gold Tram dates it 1890: DPL Z-187 says 1900-1901: Gilpin RR Era says 1900).  I'm leaning to Mal's date being more accurate.
FWIW, the often printed accompanying photo of #1-#2-#3 outside the Enginehouse(DPL Z-3476 dates 1890-1900, appears not to have been taken on the same day.  3 offending trip hazards were not present in that photo.

Keith's slide-fed Orebin analysis.


Location attempt(by rock placement) added to DPL's Lake photo L-50.


Did Joe Crea wear that combination of clothing on Gilpin Tram explorations with you, or was it maybe taken on our 2001 Chase Gulch sortie?  

Gilpin Tramway authorities Dan Abbott, Keith Pashina and Joe Crea: Smith Hill wagon road crossing location, 6th Oct-2001.


p.s. Dave,

great point raising the Watercar fill.  While I doubt the Mystery structure would have solely built for that purpose alone, filling the #300 would at 2200 gals, depleted any cistern sited in the roofspace(I would be thinking), taking water at a proper lineside W.T. would be most time efficient as opposed to a(maybe) hose.  As for the tank freezing concern: beyond my life experiences.