Re: Alpine & Boreas Passes - Stone Engine House Question

Fairplay Flume 27 Jan 1905

The large stone building of the C&S on the summit of Alpine Pass has been destroyed by fire. The Structure was a large and important building to the railway company, as it contained the round house, the turntable, coal chutes, water tank, and boarding house all under one roof. This was made necessary because of the severity of the winters at that altitude.

There are a couple of other reports mentioning the fire, this one mentions the turntable and they could have got that wrong. So by itself I do not think it is conclusive.

They built the wooden section house the following summer, seems like 1905 and 6 were bad weather conditions, just wondering if the reason they did not rebuild was similar to Boreas, but I have not come across anything mentioning why that was replace with a wye. This is speculative but perhaps turning the Rotary? The Rotary came after both were built.