dougvv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi,
>
> Both the D&RG(W) and the DSP&P (C&S) had lines up
> the Blue River Canyon.
>
> When Alpine Tunnel was closed for good, the D&RGW
> and the C&S swapped line, D&RGW got the C&S lines
> out of Gunnison and the C&S got the D&RGW lines
> northeast from Leadville. Just as the D&RGW built
> a line from its mainline to the C&S line to
> Floresta (sp?), the C&S mainline was realigned
> over the best parts of the ex-DSP&P and D&RGW
> lines in the Blue River Canyon.
>
> I think I've got that outline right.
>
Close. All C&S used of the D&RG Blue River branch was some spur trackage here and there (Wifley's Mill at Kokomo for ex.) the rest of it just sat until D&RGW pulled it up in 1923.
D&RG used more of the C&S track, at first (January 1911) everything from Quartz (East of Pitken a couple of miles) to the end of C&S trackage on the Baldwin branch(es). In the Summer of '11 D&RG built a connection at Parlin to their main and quit using C&S Parlin-Gunnison. Track just sat until C&S pulled it up (also 1923). (Note: D&RG(W) very rarely went East of Pitken, but the track to Quartz was there and they were forced to give service from time to time)
Parlin-Quartz was operated by D&RG(W) until 1934 when they gave it up and C&S abandoned it. The ICC reports on the case are somewhat amusing as the Commisoners seemed confused by the arrangement between D&RG(W) and C&S. It was *not* standard! Also the canard about a cave-in closing Alpine in 1910 is repeated there.
Gunnison-Baldwin & Kubler was operated for C&S by D&RG(W) until 1937 when D&RGW "bought" the trackage from C&S. IIRC, no money chnged hands. C&S supplied D&RGW with 2nd hand 70 lb rail (from the old D&NO line) to refurbish the line with and D&RGW gave them the old rail for scrap.
D&RGW abandoned the mile (or so) of track from Castleton to the juncton with the old Baldwin line (old Baldwin track removed by C&S, 1909) in 1944. At the same time Kulber mine removed their track from there on to the mine (used by both C&S and D&RG(W)) ane trucked coal for loading down to Castleton after that.
D&RGW abandoned Castleton-Baldwin in 1946. Both of these abandonments (as with the general Gunnison area case in 1953,) were disposed of by the ICC w/o printed reports.
The rest of the former South Park trackage was abandoned in January of 1954 and removed in June of 1955.
AFAIK, D&RG(W) did *not* build any new trackage, other than the Parlin connection mentioned above, connecting with the former C&S trackage. In particular, the Ohio Pass line (began by the South Park in 1881-82, never finished but some additional work done by UP in 1892) although that would have been a good idea methinks. Would probably have been less of a chore to operate in Winter than D&RG's own line from Crested Butte to Floresta(built 1892, removed 1928). South facing slopes and fewer slides, etc, etc. Not sure the idea didn't occur to D&RG before WWI when the Floresta mine was still working. Of course maybe it did but, with the whole WP debacle going on, they didn't have $$$ or energy to invest in it...
hank
