Re: NG from Salida to Leadville

Ken:
C&S ng cars were being moved over the D&RG as late as 1924. A former D&RG depot agent told me of billing C&S gons of anthracite coal out of Crested Butte for a smelter in Kokomo that year. What eliminated the need for the 3rd rail was the car dumper at Salida. The mines and smelters at Leadville used Crested Butte coal and D&RG ng cars were going up the dual gauge until the car dumper opened. The Ibex branch was converted to standard gauge in 1917 and I do not think the D&RG had ng engines in Leadville after that, but ng cars were switched by standard gauge engines with dual gauge couplers. The D&RG even had a couple of cabooses equipped with dual gauge couplers.