Re: Needleton Tank - images from Erick Nelson

The D&S painting crew painted the tank in the last couple of weeks, and it is very nice to see the Rio Grande herald restored as well. Our work ended with the shingles.
The reason this tank was not dynamited as planned back about 1973 was reports from the crews as they sat in the back bar in the Pickle Barrel. We got it publiized in the Silverton Standard and the D&RGW did an about face and denied that they were going to remove the tank. But too many people knew the truth. Jack Rentfrow, who was the Trainmaster, confirmed the story to me after his retirement, and Johnnie Martinez had the blasting permit. So riding with Johnnie down to the tank to check on the work was doubly sweet knowing we out foxed the boys in Denver many years ago. Most of those guys have passed on, but the tank remains.