Re: Status of D&RGW #50 / SV #101?

When the Sumpter Valley abandoned its mainline operations in 1947 They retained about 1.5 - 2 miles of dual-gauge track serving the Oregon Lumber Co. mill in South Baker. From 1947 to 1961 this remnant served as a terminal switching road for OLCo, switching standard-gauge cars in and out of the mill to the Union Pacific interchange. Motive power was Davenport #101, OLCo Shay #7 was also stored servicable on the property ostensibly as backup power. I have seen no hard evidence that it was actually used for this purpose, but it may have been. I believe that during this time OLCo maintained the SVRy's common carrier status in order to get a rate division on standard-gauge carload shipments. When the South Baker mill closed for good in 1961 the Shay was sold to Black Hills Central, the Davenport went to D&RGW to serve as the Durango switcher. From there it went to the Roaring Camp & Big trees, thence to the CRRM, where it is, I believe, currently undergoing restoration.

There is a YAHOO discussion group devoted to this locomotive.
[groups.yahoo.com]
J