Doug, The Ingoldsby cars were part of the equipment used on the Crystal River Railroad's three foot gauge line from Redstone to Coal Basin.
According to the ICC valuation materials, these cars were built in 1902, and acquired by the D&RG second hand. The summary valuation sheets indicate that there were 41 of these cars, numbered 901 - 941, in 75% of new condition, as valued by the ICC. The set of valuation summary sheets is part of ICC Valuation Set S-71, which used to be offered for sale by William Edson through the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. These are photocopies from originals in the National Archives - the original set had a pencil date of 1919 on the front sheet.
Sloan's A Century Plus Ten of D&RGW Narrow Gauge Freight Cars says the CR had a total of 50 of these cars, 40 purchased in 1900, and another 10 in 1902. The D&RG bought 41 of them in 1916. No idea what happened to the other 9 cars, possibly used by CF&I for some other purpose, or too badly deteriorated for the D&RG to buy? Sloan says the trucks were AC&F arch bar trucks with a 4' 6" wheel base. He says the D&RGW had all of the 900s still on the roster in 1925, but all were retired by 1928. Sloan says the trucks were used on CONX tank cars, TCX tank cars, and the Alamosa trash gondola 06299.
Photos - (1) The image Chris linked to is probably from 1916, as it shows the cars being unloaded at Salida. It is tentatively dated 1910 by the Denver Public Library, but that date is certainly too early. (2) George Beam took a photo of the new coaling tipple in the Durango yard in 1924. This has a clear end view of No. 911 spotted at the coal dump pit. It is on pages 58 and 59 (enlargement of car on P. 59) in Volume 2 of George L. Beam and the Denver & Rio Grande, by Jackson Thode.
During the first world war the D&RG experienced a traffic boom, including on the narrow gauge. A shortage of equipment was experienced. Second hand equipment found nearby included ex F&CC locomotives and the ex CR narrow gauge equipment. The D&RG apparently bought the Ingoldsby cars as well as the three locomotives from the Crystal River RR to help move coal, which was the primary fuel in the region, and for the nation's war effort. The three narrow gauge locomotives from the Crystal River RR were purchased by the D&RG in 1916. In November, 1916, the D&RG leased the CR's rotary snowplow, AB-2, which had been primarily used on the closed narrow gauge line above Redstone. In 1920 the D&RG bought the plow from CF&I (CR's parent), and it became D&RGW OO following the reorganization of the D&RG as the D&RGW. The OO was based at Gunnison, and was scrapped there following abandonment of the lines serving Gunnison, 1955.
CVM
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2017 11:02AM by Charlie Mutschler.
