Re: Does anyone have information on the D&RG tracks at Crested Butte?

I have been researching the Crested Butte branch for over 40 years with the hope of doing a book someday. Unlikely that will happen as none of publishing companies think it is a viable project. My K-28 book has a section on the Crested Butte branch and the cover shows two K-28s on the wye. The painting shows something that happened often. The Shavano passenger train had a long layover at Gunnison. Double heading was prohibited on the branch due to bridge limitations, so the helper was always placed mid-train. The Shavano engine (usually 479, sometimes 472) would be used as helper. Each engine would shove their half of the empties to the storage tracks west of the CF&I Big Mine. The engine crews would have their lunch break with the road engine (usually 474) on the north leg and the helper on the south. After their lunch break, the helper would run light back to Gunnison while the road engine switched the yard, sometimes switching the Anthracite branch north of town and the Buckley Mine south of town. It would return to Gunnison later in the day. Trains of 70 and 80 cars were common.

I was close friends with retired D&RGW engineer Frank Wright who worked the branch for many years. Frank told me the engine house at Crested Butte was too small for K class engines and after the Crested Butte switch engine was pulled off in 1933, it was only used to store the flanger that was kept there. The engine house was torn down in 1940.