Doug & Jerry,
I was fascinated to find that the 216 didn't show up on the ICC Valuation equipment overview. The CRRM book on D&RGW motive power doesn't show the loco as scrapped until the 1920's.
Perhaps some technicality in the rules. The Blue River Branch would most certainly have been services from Leadville, as it was the only D&RG connection. The D&RG and CM came in from the south. The C&S came in from the North via a much more difficult route.... and the C&S survived.
I can only attribute it to the fact that the C&S also had Breckenridge and Keystone to contribute to the Branch line's revenue. As I am fond of pointing out, and have before, Dickey (the junction point between Leadville, and Dillon) had some pretty massive facilities for a mere junction point. Six stall engine house and some massive coal bins to go along with the coal trestle. This is because Dickey was going to be the main junction when the UP completed their Denver connection over Loveland Pass with the line at Bakerville (the maps still exist). Dickey would also have had to service the South Park Power on the proposed branch from Dillon to Kremmling in Middle Park. This would have connected with the Union Pacific's Branch from Fort Steele (no relation), Wyoming, on the main line, over Rabbit Ears Pass to Kremmling and Leadville.
By the way, I reviewed some of my stuff last night. On the Blue River Branch the C&S made new connections with the D&RG at Dillon and Robinson (effectively isolating the D&RG's Robinson Depot).
In Gunnison, the D&RG immediately pulled the C&S crossings which bisected their yard and built a new connection to the west and built a new connecting track near the C&S roundhouse in Gunnison.
Doug, Leadville had the D&RG's Ibex Branch, which reached the highest altitude on the entire D&RG system. If I'm not mistaken, their branch line system around Leadville was more extensive than that of the C&S and their Leadville Mineral Belt subsidiary. I could be wrong, though.
The branches are much more fascinating in person than on a map. I remember walking the C&S grade outside the Matchless one time and came across a three way turnout. One track went up, one stayed level and the other went down. You could see some of the 3-rail ties left in the ground. Neat stuff, but what a maintenance headache... and what a booger for someone to model as the elevation differences started within about 10 feet of the switch frogs.
Rick
