Re: Como Roundhouse Addition

Posted by Mike Trent on Aug 21, 2017; 3:24am
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Como-Roundhouse-Addition-tp9120p9195.html

Hi Jim, yes, all that's true. I don't know why you are confused.

Locomotives which brought in Westbound freights were kept at Leadville between assignments on the West End, and the engine crews carpooled back to Como unless they had been called for the next day. There would have been a foreman at the roundhouse and there would have been at least a couple of men to hostle the engines, which would involve coaling, watering, and keeping the engines hot as needed.

One of the older men Todd and I were able to interview worked at Como servicing locomotives on what he called "train days", when both Eastbound and Westbound trains arrived at Como. Both he and his wife said they watched for headlights on Kenosha at around 5PM, which meant it was time to pack his lunch. The Westbound helpers would come in in about an hour, followed by the train. Usually the Eastbound helpers and train would come in after that, and they worked through the night servicing and hostling the engines. On other days, they might be shoveling coal at the chutes, or maybe just waiting for the next rotation of Extra freights. Times were hard, and work was always catch as catch can for those guys. The returning West End enginemen always went home as soon as they got in at Como. The East End guys had to lay over in Como.

Have I missed something? Maybe I have. The East End guys waited for their train the next day. Helpers were cut off at Kenosha and ran all the way back to Denver. West End helpers were cut off at Climax and ran to Dickey, then cut off again at Boreas before they could run downhill and go home. On Westbound runs when there was not a run the next day, a long drive back to Como awaited them at the end of the run.

That's how they did it. Tough life. But they had to do it.

If I've missed something, I'll try to clear it up.