Colorado Shay *PIC*

described on the side of the photo as being taken at "Roth Ranch, 1911", this photograph shows one of the Uintah Railway's Shay locomotives at Wendella, Colorado - on the wye. The "Roth Ranch" notation was the name of the small seasonal cattle ranch that was at that location, with a few small cabins and corrals at the end of the wye (right). The Shay is on the south leg of the wye( closest to the camera) and you can make out what looks like a caboose on the other leg of the wye (pointed towards us, behind the Shay), anothe locomotive, probably #30, sets on the main line leg of the wye to the far left(blurred). Photo is taken looking north, down Evacuation Creek valley. The Shay would have brought the train over Baxter Pass, as negine #30 could not manuever the sharp corners on the pass. Then, as was customary operating procedure, the Baldwin built engine #30 would take the train on to the Gilsonite mining towns in Utah. The Shay would then take the "full" train that had been left by engine #30 and proceed back over the pass to Atchee. Since the grade was much less from Dragon to Wendella (2%), than from Wendella to the top of Baxter Pass (5%), usually the "full" train of ore was longer than could be taken over in one trip by the Shays, so often, a couple of trains were made up to take the ore back over the mountain.