Had a chance today to look for some more information on Lava
and while I did not find anything on the siding itself, I did
find some very early information on the pump house facilities.
This data (titled Lava Water Service) is from a 4th Division
Ledger dating back into the 1880's, pages 114 and 115.
Page 115 has a very nice layout drawing of the pump house and
the Pumpers Dwelling as well as the pipe line. The stone Pump
House dated 1883 which sat by Los Pinos Creek measured 36' by
30'inside. The coal bunker was 8' wide by 30' and the pump
machinery took up the remaining space of 28' by 30'. The
foundation footprint is shown as 28'-6" by 31'-6". The settling
well, placed between the pump house and river was stone-lined 12'
in diameter and 17' deep and fed from the creek. (another ICC
Form from 2-1-1930 says 8' dia. by 10'
deep)
The Pumping Plant initially shows a #9 Cameron Pump. (no date)
In 1883 there is a 10" X 5.5" X 10" Worthington Pump and also
a 36" X 12' Horizontal Tubular Boiler with a notation after the
entry "Locomotive Boiler". The Pumping Plant is shown to have
been replaced in 1924.
The 1881 Water Tank was a standard 16' X 24' of 50,000 gallon
capacity on a 10' frame, fed by a 3" Cast Pipe (also 1883)
2110 feet in length from pump to tank.
The railroad "Commenced taking water from Los Pinos Creek before
1883. Declaration for water (amount not stated) recorded by Jas
Fowler June 30, 1883, rights conveyed to D&RGRR June 21, 1883.
In about 1892 bought a piece of ground for Pump House from
James O." (last name is illegible Overshret??)
The frame, three-room Pumpers Dwelling (1883) had a foundation
footprint of 24' by 28'. The living room interior was 11'-0"
X 15"-0", Kitchen 11'-0" X 15'-0" and the bedroom 11'-0" by
15'. A small porch facing the river measured 8'-0" X 11'-0"
more or less making a square structure. Both the bedroom and
the living room appear to have access to the porch while the
kitchen shows a door no doubt used for access to the "water
closet" (a two-holer) which was 27' away and measured 5'-2"
X 4'-0'.
John T.
