Dan, I have suspected for a while that our current mile markers are not actually in agreement with the old markers. I think we are about 1/2 mile off. For example the original McEwen site is per old maps between MP 22 and MP 23. We consider the road next to our depot 22.5. The map I am looking at shows a public crossing just above MP23. If there had been a public road a bit farther up, even with the tailings, I think we would see some sign of it crossing the pasture between the Hwy and the tailings so this is likely the current road location. The next public road crossing up the valley is probably where Huckleberry Loop west is. This appears to be about half way between MP 26 and 27 on maps, but we reckon it as 25.9. I assume you know where the actual S Wye water tower site was and this is above MP 27 on the old maps, but we call Iron Horse Village MP 27. MP 28 on the old maps was just below a public crossing that I assume is Sawmill Gulch. The end of track was listed as a short mile (29) which was 4467'. I could be wrong on some of this, but it should be possible to verify sometime with the help of Jim Grigsby's surveying equipment, as the maps I am looking at give exact footages that were measured with chains in the old days. Some of these landmarks are still extant such as the location of S Wye tank, and the locations of the old McEwen Wye. It would probably be possible to set up his instrument at the crossing next to the depot and get an exact footage to a verifyable landmark down at the old McEwen site, then compare to the maps and also the same could be done at the S wye tank location. I suggest these in particular as near as I know there is tangent track for some distance in these areas.
Bill Herman told me that someone believed that Hwy 7 was at MP 25. As there was no road crossing in the area in the old days, I wonder how that came about? Bill said he helped measure down the ROW with a measuring wheel held against the road bed while he was riding a motor car. I doubt the measurement was very accurate over much distance and they may have started their measuring with a wrong premise about the starting location.
