George:
Don't believe most of what you see in the Beebe books. None of the Colorado railroad historians took these guys serioulsy.
That was the only time they tried a rotary on the Silverton branch. You are correct about the rocks and debris. The D&RGW had the same problem on other lines: Black Canyon of the Gunnison (tried a rotary once there in the same year...1916). The D&RGW had similar trouble on the standard gauge. They used Rotary 070 on the Provo Canyon branch (it is now the Heber Creeper tourist line) and had problems with damage to the rotary. After the D&RGW purchased both narrow gauge and standard gauge steam shovels and ditchers, they found them to be more effective on these lines. That is why the D&RGW based Ditcher OX at Durango in the 30s.
January 1916
Snow Slide Near Provo
The first snow slide of the season occurred last Saturday afternoon at Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. It completely blocked traffic on both the Denver & Rio Grande and also on the wagon road.
The slide was 100 feet long, 50 feet wide and 25 feet deep. A rotary snow plow on the Denver & Rio Grande had the road open by Sunday afternoon.
Jerry Day