Re: Desperately Seeking Signals: The Saga Of The Train Order Board

Posted by ComoDepot on Oct 29, 2016; 10:55pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Desperately-Seeking-Signals-The-Saga-Of-The-Train-Order-Board-tp6678p6683.html

Photos which can be dated I consider primary data.

In 1883 we have a photo showing the Depot attached to the Gilman Hotel, before the Pacific Hotel took over in 1885. The Gilman had a flat roof on the extensions.

In 1879 when the track reached Como there was a Depot here according to the Fairplay Flume, the town was a tented city. No description of what it looked like but the reporter seems to assume that his readership would know what it was and where it was.

For the next 2 years Como is nothing special.

1881 they decide to build the Roundhouse and I assume then the Tenements, same crew? My assumption is that requires a bigger Depot

The 1886 ICC report refers to the original rectangle and 2 extensions and matches up with the current building dimension, I think the ICC report dated the Depot as 1881 but then the report has other dates that are wrong and was not prepared as a historical record, could be when the Depot was extended?

The early years are a guessing game, there are lots of odd cut lines that suggest changes, windows doors, the internal partitioning has changed in spots, the freight room was either bigger or the foundation assumed it would be bigger.

The Depot as fas as I am aware does not match the other Depots built around that time. Certainly not the standard type building, Dispatchers Office in Como (what happened to that) and Depot in Jefferson.

Short version is I do not know pre 1883.

In 1879 there was nothing here, there was a Ranch a mile or so away, but certainly does not have the style of a local redundant building repurposed, there were sawmills up here, not sure they were producing anything complicated in the way of trim, assume that came up with the Train from Denver.

If it had been moved I do not think from what I have seen it was done in small pieces, nothing I have seen that suggests that, think it would have to be in one piece so that means not that far.

They certainly did move Buildings, King to Como were c 1896, but much smaller than the Depot, not sure when Lower Como became King but post 1883.

Como was head of the track for 4 or 5 months, makes sense they needed a Building, nothing I think in Jefferson so the next nearest would be Webster/Grant, a long way away.

So to recap:

Moved in one piece, well not from Denver, not physically possible.
Broken up and reassembled, no evidence.
Another building that was torn down for its materials, possible, but I would expect to see a lot of nail holes from previous construction.
Built on site, most likely and then extended by local labour using what was to hand. The extensions seem to have been done by unskilled labour.

Still does not answer why so many changes seem to have happened in those first few years.

Finally another question, was the Depot extended to the Hotel or the Hotel extended to the Depot?