Re: Why a turntable? Corkscrew Gulch

There are plenty of 'zig-zags' on the (old) Silverton Railroad. Not on the mainline, but on the sidings that serviced the mines.

The Yankee Girl had the most switchbacks (our term for zig-zags). The first ran north a short distance (servicing the Wilde mine?), then switched back south. It passed the Yankee Girl's coal dock switchback, and continued south to pass the Yankee Girl's ore dock switchback. Later, that switchback descended further to the south, then switchbacked(?) north to service the lower workings of the Treasury Tunnel mine.

The Paymaster had a coal spur "above" the turntable, and an ore spur "below" it.