Re: Along The Gilpin Tramway - A Closer Look

Posted by Keith Pashina on Dec 30, 2024; 5:00am
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Along-The-Gilpin-Tramway-A-Closer-Look-tp20380p20399.html





This map shows the area we're starting from - the engine house (or roundhouse as the tram like to call it) and yards are nestled down along the North Branch of Clear Creek, and the mainline takes off to the lower right, in a general westward direction to reach the mines. The railroad and Clear Creek, along with a wagon road, are closely intertwined at this point.

Chase Gulch was a major operational challenge for the Tram. The grade was about 3% to 4% throughout, and had numerous sharp curves.  Photos published in previous books on the Gilpin Tram show double-headed and triple-headed trains of empties and loaded coal cars blasting up the grade.  

Chase Gulch is a rugged and narrow gulch with steep, rocky sides.  The Gilpin Tram negotiated the gulch by snaking around major rock outcroppings, and building a lot of the right of way on narrow ledges supported on stone walls.  Few sections could be built in straight or in easy-to-dig soil.


Here, our own website owner and moderator, Darel Leedy, is studying where the start of the switchback to the Hidden Treasure Mill (dashed arrow) diverges from the  main line (solid arrow). Photo taken on a cold November day in 2000.


The grade is built on a steep hill side most of the way, and is a combination of minimal grading of the dirt and rock, and stone retaining walls. Here Gilpin Tram experts Dan Abbott, Chris Walker, and Joe Crea are hiking the grade in 2001.


A few years ago, the local government rebuilt the grade for hikers and mountain bikers, so the old grade is very easy to explore. The trail head and parking lot are located about where the Gilpin Tram’s stone warming house was located.

After climbing the east slope of Maryland Mountain, the grade takes a sharp turn to the west, about where the Smith Hill Road crossed the grade.

This location was photographed a few times in Gilpin Tram days, and was located more or less above the Polar Star Mill down below, in Black Hawk.


After leaving the switchback spur, the grade climbs along the east slope of Maryland Mountain. Many parts are graded such as shown here.


Other parts of the grade required stone retaining walls. These walls were dry laid (no mortar) of stone, and are generally in as good condition as when they were laid 136 years ago. This view is of a typical wall on the east slope of Maryland Mountain.