Header Photo #71

Posted by Mike Trent on Feb 07, 2015; 11:22pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Header-Photo-71-tp835.html

I am quite interested in the header photo of #71 at what appears to be Golden.

Do we know when this photo was taken? It appears to be in Clear Creek service, and has to have been after dismatling operations on the Mainline.

You will note that the engine features the striped running boards and drivers that it had when delivered (freshly painted) to Blackhawk for display at Central City in 1941. Also of note with respect to #71, it does not have it's snowplow.

Doug Schnarbush, who said he fired #71 more than any other engine during his years on the West End until 1937 told me that when he saw the old girl displayed at Central City, that was the first time he ever saw it without a snowplow. Sure enough, I have not found a photo of #71 dated between 1927 and 1937 that shows #71 without a plow. There may be a few out there, but I haven't seen one. Doug probably never saw #71 during dismantling, as he had moved his family from Como to Denver to find work at Goodyear.

Anyway, this is a great shot. Where did it come from? Had to have been 1940 or maybe even 1941?

The B-4-E's were rarely used on the Clear Creek Branch prior to 4/37.