Re: Alpine Tunnel Construction Camps

Posted by Rick Steele on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Alpine-Tunnel-Construction-Camps-tp19236p19267.html

Hi Dave,

In the book Across the Great Divide, the History of the Alpine Tunnel in Images. Page 67 shows "The DL&G three engine Passenger train at Han(d)cock Late 1890's. You cen see the business car at the end of the train, and a combine ahead of it, with a flanger set off to the side of the Business car with what looks like a Rotary or Locomotive tender ahead of the flanger. This is the same Photo shown in Ferrell on page 154. The same photo again in Helmers, 1963 first printing, Page 146 and again in Helmers, 1971 Printing on page 123. Tom Klinger shows the same photo on his South Park's Gunnison Division Memories and then some on page 151.

Of course, there is the map published in Ferrell's The South Park Line, showing Hancock with a wye on the map dated 1885 on pg 84, drawn by Mal himself.

The big problem with researching something like this is that you can tell that it was there, but you can't tell when they built it. I can show you grades all over Wyoming and Colorado, so you know that it was there, but there are no built dates...

I have no access to any of the original construction or intermediate roadway drawings of the DSP&P or DL&G and I only have the NARA ICC valuation drawings of the C&S. I got mine before the CRRM published their half size folios. But thank goodness that they did. The copies of the ICC valuation maps, which are 24" in height and quite long are a pain to store anywhere. The issuing railroad kept the original black line maps and the ICC was given blueprints. The CRRM reversed the color and turned them back into black lines on white paper, instead of the reverse.

In the 1893 receiver's report for DL&G during the UP bankruptcy, there is an interesting notation. it says "Atlantic. 489 ft." So we can say that it was definitively there at that time. However, in this Receiver's inventory, trackage and type are not listed, only the accrued sum of all the track in service, so nothing about a wye at Hancock.

Another conjecture... What if the tail track on the Wye at Hancock was only long enough to turn one or two locomotives? If the C&S wanted to turn a rotary with the entire locomotive consist (several locomotives) on the wye. The wye, by necessity, would have to have the tail track lengthened as turning locomotives one at a time is an expensive pain in the tail and takes lots of time (time = $$$). The tail track would have to be lengthened and if the curve was too sharp for the Rotary to take, the curvature on each leg of the wye would have to be "Straightened out" to accomodate the Rotary. Thus the grading and clearing price.

Reasoning:  At that altitude and on that grade it could be dangerous to bust the air line of the locomotive consist just to turn the head end to get it heading the proper direction. Believe me that when you are up that high in the rarefied air, with winter cold and wind blowing, you are begging for troubles busting the air brake lines, anything from freezing up to a runaway. I speak from personal experience with compressed air in Wyoming blizzards. Of course, each locomotive would have had an Engineer and Fireman who would have been on the clock during the delay turning each locomotive separately.

How could this be done at Alpine Tunnel on the other end of the Snow run? Think about the lack of grade beside the engine house, the engine house was heated and there were probably mechanical men on duty there to take care of things, as both freight and Passenger trains were asked to make a thorough brake inspection and to turn up the retainers and inspect the equipment before heading down to Hancock or down to Pitkin. The turntable in the Engine House should have been long enough to turn the Rotary and one locomotive, albeit one at a time.

Think about the other Engine Houses, one at Boreas, on the top of the Pass and one at Climax, at the top of Fremont Pass. Both enclosed and heated.

Rick