Re: Ohio Pass exploration

The CF&I sold cold from Floresta to the US Navy in San Diego, so it went a long ways in the days before unit coal trains. I also have waybills for Floresta coal shipped to the RGS at Ridgway. Not sure what the RGS was doing with anthracite coal. The mine shut down in 1919, but the CF&I sold the antracite dust to smelters in Leadville and Texas until 1926 or 1927.

The D&RGW ran picnic trains up to Kebler Pass for Western State College in 1926, 27, and 28. They finally had to stop as the track was bad, they ran the last one to the smith Hill Mine on the Anthracite branch in 1929.

Yes, it is a fascinating area. What is interesting is that many of the D&RGW men I have talked to thought the D&RGW to Crested BUtte would last longer than the line to Durango because of all the coal that was there (and is still there).

Jerry