MSRRKevin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting thoughts. But was there ever a real
> need to have Ks on this portion of the line?
>
Before 1942 there was a steady traffic on the line other than stock movements. Coal bound for Montrose and points south, lumber, and ore concentrates from Ouray & the RGS. The 1938 report claims that 80% of the traffic could be kept, to go via Grand Jct, if the line was abandoned. There is also mention of companies looking to develop mineral deposits (feldspar, vermiculite) in the area and that the suggestion had been made that they truck stuff to Gunnison instead of loading it nearer the sources.
In other words, the fix was in and traffic was being moved to Moterways.
hank