Re: Colorado & Southern 2-8-0 #71

Matt,

The company was the Black Hawk & Central City Railroad (I think I have a pass somewhere around here). This line rebuilt on the roadbed that had been abandoned a couple of years prior by the Colorado Central Narrow Gauge Ry (the CCNG became the Georgetown Loop RR, Inc.).

For all the talk of two miles of line the bitter truth is that the operation was from Central City to Packard Gulch. It was a whopping 0.6 mile (yes, six-tenths of a mile). The curving hillside, slow speed and photo stops made is seem longer. It was 4% grade, however.

The 71 was owned by the Gilpin County Historical Society at the time that it was being run. The operator was chronically short of money and when he did not pay his rental on the locomotive and the land where his tracks crossed, he was shut down. The damage done to the locomotive was caused by a worn out hub liner on the rear axle. The driver tire bit into the side of the boiler next to the firebox. Apparently the scarring is deep enough that a repair of that part of the boiler is necessary before any resumed operation can even be imagined.

As for the cab appliances, the hydrostatic lubricator and air brake stands, I cannot say what happened to them. The 71 "lost" its headlight for a time. It was "borrowed for safe keeping" by a local railfan. It was returned and now sits with the locomotive on display. It was returned after more than a bit of pressure from the local constabulary, if I remember correctly.

If you look at the 71 notice the notches cut in the side of the tender side sills. This because when the tender was "restored" the people doing the work could only procure lumber that was too large and instead of cutting the lumber down to the proper size they used the full sized pieces. After they almost derailed because of the rubbing of the tender truck journals, notches had to be cut to clear the journals on the tender truck. You will also notice that the cinder tube leading down from the Ridgeway Spark Arrestor is missing its bottom 1/3. Where the cinder tube is, one can only guess.

The Georgetown Loop did not look at the 71 for its use. It was a daylight raid by the CHS attempting to abscond with the 71 for their own use. It is a long story but in a nutshell, the CHS bought or was given 1/3 interest in the locomotive. With this deed in hand, they attempted to remove the Locomotive from Central City. After a cease and desist order and a court proceeding the 71 was returned to Central City. The land upon which the 71 and its two cars was displayed was owned by the Central City Opera House Association. When this land was sold, the equipment was moved to the Couer d'Alene Mine across the valley where it stood unprotected for almost two years. It was then moved to the pedestal where it now sits on display. The gondola that was displayed with the 71 and Combine 20 now sits in a City Park at the opposite end of town. Why? I dunno...

The long and short of it is that unless the CHS and Gilpin County bury the Hatchet, the 71 has very little likeleyhood of ever having a fire in her belly again.

Rick Steele