Re: Draft Layout Plans: Black Hawk C&S / Gilpin Tram

Posted by Dave Eggleston on Feb 26, 2025; 6:31pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Draft-Layout-Plans-Black-Hawk-C-S-Gilpin-Tram-tp20518p20531.html

This is a creative approach to fitting Blackhawk in a small space, Martin. I have a few ideas that don't change the operations but open some space or follow familiar features I think of in Blackhawk. I know you're going proto-generic but what timeframe is the layout? To me this drives some decisions on the industries. The Gilpin would peg this as being before 1918 and based on that I'm thinking of a few things.

The turntable makes sense for the period, but the enginehouse and multiple leads take a lot of space that could be used otherwise, perhaps opening a bit of space for a non-rail-served mill or sampler, or ruins. Is it critical for storage of locomotives?

Same for the size of the livestock bins. Blackhawk apparently had a stock loading pen but this is not shown on any maps Sanborn (1886-1900), 1898 C&S plan, ICC 1916 plans. I suspect it would be quite small, more in line with the very small pen at Central City. I believe that these small pens were more about bringing in some livestock to augment local farm supplies of meat, not for large stock movements as seen elsewhere. Going smaller would open up space to build a larger Iron City mill complex.

I know you're forced to edit out chunks of BH but one thing, to my eye you've put a fuel dealer on the spur that I associate as the one for the Hay/Feed operation across from the depot, which did have coal bins, and, at one time, a lime bin. It also was used for hay/feed and lumber. Central had an oil dealer in its yard by the 1890s, but I don't know of one at BH. I suspect you are wanting to run tank cars,  but if looking to be more specific to BH in that period it might be worth considering, and won't that at all impact the Polar Star as you've designed it.

The building you label as BH Freight House, which they didn't have, could in fact be a warehouse that did exist between the power plant and the Polar Star on its own spur, operationally identical to what you've done.

Finally, by 1900 the State Ore Sampling building was in place across from the depot, roughly just right of Clear Creek between the station and the mainline exiting the plan. Another source of traffic that might fit as a spur off the station runaround (the main was technically on the other track, in your plan the track above the station).