Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Found this very interesting!
Had to study the maps a little.
http://railroadglorydays.com/Corkscrew/?fbclid=IwAR2Zl8clNJZ7S0L6IU5Afs2RGiNYKQ9PJRXIQ2ZbBXH8-AJ7r5TYTE4Si6g
Pat

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Neat.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Very interesting, Pat. I can't for the life of me figure out how that turntable worked in practice. Sure, you could turn the engine so you don't have to back up the switchback, but what about the train?

Mike

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

For me, this is the fun part. Trying to figure out stuff.
All I can do is make assumptions. So, here we go!

1. I'm guessing this image was taken in the early 1900s up to 1919. I'm guessing these tracks were built in 1884 or later. I think the first tracks to arrive in Silverton was 1883.
2. The second drawing shows an extended track after the turntable. The image does not. This extended track would allow the freight train to pull up far enough to switch to the other tracks.
3. The missing extended track after the turntable could have been washed out. Was not repaired due to the lack of train freight. This image does show passenger cars. With the train running light with passengers only, there was no need to turn the locomotive. This passenger train could back up through the turntable far enough to throw the switch to continue on.
4. In the early booming days, tracks were built quickly. Looking in front of the locomotive, I believe this would have been a trestle. Same thing on the tracks to the right of the locomotive. When they had time, they could bring in fill to cover up the trestle.

That's what I think happened.
What do you think?
Pat

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Thanks Pat! It certainly is intriguing, isn't it? I think your assumptions are good.

A few years ago I was visiting in Colorado and drove up to Hagerman pass out of Basalt, and I gradually realized as I drove that the road was on an old railroad right-of-way - the Colorado Midland. That then dominated the rest of the vacation, and I spent a week or so reading about the history of the CM and exploring the right of way.

Mike

jederick Loc: Northern Utah

Thanks for posting this, Pat...an interesting read complete with photos, doesn't get any better than that!!

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

That is indeed interesting!

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Thanks so much for posting this - gets me thinking of how the RR came and went with the mining areas of the west- Silverton was one of the many mining towns we lived in as my father worked in so many of them - I was around 2 yrs old when he worked in Silverton, Teluride & Oray - 1939- We were living in Wallace,ID when the silver, lead & vinc mines started closing in mid '50s and the RR stopped runing in the area - in '50 when we moved there - around 17 mines were working as well as the Bunker Hill Smelter in Kellogge,ID -now the "Only" truly working Silver Mine in the area - the "Lucky Friday" has to ship it's refined ore hundreds of miles to Canada by truck to the closest working smelter - the Bunker Hill in Kellogge is one of the largest super fund pollution clean-ups in the country. The RR right away from Wallace to Harrison is a 70+ mi bike trail - where I saw the Great Northern's "Big Boy" working.

Rob48 Loc: Portland, ME

Wow, great find; thank you, Pat.