Alpine Tunnel Glass
Posted by South Park on Sep 25, 2017; 8:03pm
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Alpine-Tunnel-Glass-tp9540.html
For years I wondered what purpose the single wire line
served that ran through the Alpine Tunnel, when the telegraph
line ran on poles OVER the mountain.
We know that the telegraph was operational all the way to
Gunnison before the tunnel was bored through. An alternate
short cut in the case of line trouble over the top ?
When I got my copy of Klinger's book, showing a CD 126
from the John Hallinan collection, said to have been taken out
of the tunnel, I did believe it. I have dug and hunted the entire
mainline from Waterton to Gunnison and CD 126's were not
used anywhere by the South Park. For reasons beyond my
current knowledge, whoever was buying glass for the South
Park had a strong connection with Hemingray and all their early
glass was supplied by them, not Brookfield (mfr's of the CD 126).
Later still, a period photo surfaced, showing a CD 126 on a sidepin
at the mouth of the showshed, providing provenance for the use of
them at the tunnel location.
Now, the D&RG bought and used strictly Brookfield glass and
one can clearly see the same CD 126's in use in this early shot
along the Arkansas.
The more I think about this, the more I am led to wonder what
part the D&RG might have had in some telegraph system maintenance
during the time they were sharing rails with the South park into
Leadville and Gunnison. One rarely hear, reads, or sees any evidence
of D&RG use of the Alpine Tunnel line, yet it is known they used
it.
Insulators known to be used on the Chalk Creek-to-Gunnison line
are CD 133.4 1871 Patent "bullets", as seen on right. These were
original construction, and ...
126.4 1871 Patent WE Mfg. Co. marked units, basically Hemingray's
answer to the 126 Brookfield units. (seen on left)
So, the question is, ... what is known about D&RG/South Park
collaboration on the Alpine Tunnel line before the joint use agreement
was nixed ???
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Alpine-Tunnel-Glass-tp9540.html
For years I wondered what purpose the single wire line
served that ran through the Alpine Tunnel, when the telegraph
line ran on poles OVER the mountain.
We know that the telegraph was operational all the way to
Gunnison before the tunnel was bored through. An alternate
short cut in the case of line trouble over the top ?
When I got my copy of Klinger's book, showing a CD 126
from the John Hallinan collection, said to have been taken out
of the tunnel, I did believe it. I have dug and hunted the entire
mainline from Waterton to Gunnison and CD 126's were not
used anywhere by the South Park. For reasons beyond my
current knowledge, whoever was buying glass for the South
Park had a strong connection with Hemingray and all their early
glass was supplied by them, not Brookfield (mfr's of the CD 126).
Later still, a period photo surfaced, showing a CD 126 on a sidepin
at the mouth of the showshed, providing provenance for the use of
them at the tunnel location.
Now, the D&RG bought and used strictly Brookfield glass and
one can clearly see the same CD 126's in use in this early shot
along the Arkansas.
The more I think about this, the more I am led to wonder what
part the D&RG might have had in some telegraph system maintenance
during the time they were sharing rails with the South park into
Leadville and Gunnison. One rarely hear, reads, or sees any evidence
of D&RG use of the Alpine Tunnel line, yet it is known they used
it.
Insulators known to be used on the Chalk Creek-to-Gunnison line
are CD 133.4 1871 Patent "bullets", as seen on right. These were
original construction, and ...
126.4 1871 Patent WE Mfg. Co. marked units, basically Hemingray's
answer to the 126 Brookfield units. (seen on left)
So, the question is, ... what is known about D&RG/South Park
collaboration on the Alpine Tunnel line before the joint use agreement
was nixed ???
"Duty above all else except Honor"
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