More Cumbres Snow Adventure (earlier) if you’re in the mood.
“The Star on the Rails” Jan 01, 2002
March 16, 1906 Mancos T-T Train Situation:
The worst snowstorm of the winters has the Cumbres pass blocked. “Twas a wet, heavy snowfall and averages six feet on the level. While it may not be true, it is believed that the rotary up there is off the track and through trains from Denver can not be expected for a day or two.
The Silverton Branch is blocked as previously announced, and snowfall Monday night was 20 inches at Elk Park. From statements made by travelers it is learned that beside the Rio Grande engines and trains snowed in, that the mine roads running out of Silverton sent down their engines to assist in clearing the track and they too were caught by slides down that are almost a mass of solid ice. It will be several days before this branch is dug open.
The Southern is still blocked but may be opened today, which however is doubtful. Railroad men now fear almost as much trouble from rock slides and washouts due to the late storm, as they have suffered from the snowfall.
The southbound RGS run up against a big snow slide near Ophir Loop Monday [3/12/06]
And did not get through to Durango for about four days. Some say that the slides stopped on the track and piles up fifty or more feet high.
March 23, 1906: Mancos T-T:
Last Tuesday [3/20] an engine [RGS] ran over a boro up the line, derailed both train and donkey.
Work of opening the road over Cumbres [Pass] and near Ophir was considerable retarded Tuesday [3/20/06] by the breaking of an axle on each of the rotaries, which delayed work for a few hours.
February 19, 1909 Mancos T-T:
The rotary from Salida division passed through [Mancos] Wednesday evening [2/17/09] going to open the road between here and Telluride so that trains service can be re-established. There has not been a train thru on this division for about three weeks.
[The rotary snow photos of Durango yard may have been 2/15 or 16/ 1909 but that a guess until someone checks the Durango Democrat newspaper for the final word.]
Did I read someone on the list saying the canyon views of rotary snow plow photo were not on the Silverton Branch? Most history says that a rotary was never used on the Silverton Branch. Am I in error to see these photos to be on the Silverton Branch?
[www.durango.k12.co.us]
[www.durango.k12.co.us]
Where are they? End PRR
