April 1 route and the C&TS Dispatch.

Hi,

When I wrote my April 1 post, all I knew was a rumor of a SG D&RGW line over Wolf Creek Pass.

Was I surprised when the Dispatch arrived yesterday and there had been a narrow gauge survey over the same pass!

Looking over the surveys, the three northern routes seemed to try to build along some of the most rugged rocky mountain regions. I recall a trucker on CB in the 1980s joking about those in Louisiana not knowing that bridges were supposed to build across creeks, not up them (crossing the bayous on I10 in southern Louisiana).

Atlanta was chosen as the northern most place to get around the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains without getting into mountain railroading.

Cumbres was a way to avoid much or the mountainous construction and operation the northern three routes to Silverton might engender. Sort of like D&RG trying to use passes to get through while the DSP&P tried to go over the mountains.

Fascination history for both railroaders and civil engineering route surveying history in the 1870s.

Thanks for a great subject.

Doug vV

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