Re: Passenger Trains:Clear Creek

Posted by Chris Walker on Dec 01, 2015; 2:07am
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Yet-Another-DPL-Gem-Unseen-Clear-Creek-tp2400p4129.html

Jim,

as it was the late-20's that passenger service was got rid of,  the teens seem to be well represented.

My take is that the photographs you seek, that haven't been published in the likes of Narrow Gauge to Central and Silver (the best coverage), C&Sng, Colorado Central Rail Road, Mineral Belt III among others, are of the sort you would find by opportunity, flea-market or ebay etc.  These would be the type taken on family outings, seeing somebody off on the train at the Depot, riding an excursion, posing alongside or just whatever happened to sneak into the background etc.  

The specific "railfan" concept was pretty thin back then, we're lucky that Otto was cutting his teeth at this period and took the time to get out of Denver for the last passenger run to Silver Plume. It seems that the professional photographers (apart from Lachlan McLean or Harry Lake) most likely have avoided the urban/industrial areas of Idaho Springs, because of the tightness of the alley and dowdiness of the buildings, and preferred to take in the more scenic Canon and Bridge views.  Buckwalter and McClure (and others) took a fair number views of the Canon without trains.