This was just posted on another list about an 1890s tank car recovered in Colorado. Fun to watch!
That is just one of the projects that we ( The Durango Railroad Historical Society) is involved in. Ultimately the car is to be a part of the RR display the the DRHS is building up for Silverton.
That was pretty kewl!..
It took a lot of effort I think to get the tank out of the forest. I looked that way, but I bet it wasn’t.
It will be a fine item once restored and fitted to a frame and trucks.
That is really neat finding that relic and securing it for restoration.
How ridiculous is it that it took 3 years plus of cutting through red tape to finally be allowed to retrieve it. One would think the Forestry Service would be happy to have someone haul that piece of trash away. I suppose they had to do intensive studies to make sure that a rare earth worm or something hadn’t made its home under the tank.!!
I was amazed how good the condition of the tank was.
Todd, its not that they didn’t want the tank removed, they didn’t want the surrounding stuff disturbed. After all, it would really harm the forest to disturb anything.
That’s cool, diamond shaped rivets and flat ends. Now there are details I had never heard about.
Hey Guys, BTW the DRHS is in need of D&RGW NG trucks. We could use all that you would donate ( like Free). There are several cars that we can get, but no trucks under them.
Some more like these would be really nice. A half a dozen sets dropped off in Silverton would be just fine. We could come up with a tax receipt for the donation to our society.
Is it possible to get new trucks made? I would imagine that at some point there won’t be any old ones left to reuse.
To Dave Taylor et al:
Hopefully, four California-based sources for information:
If the trucks being sought are not unique to the Denver railroad but based on an era, one source could be the Independence, California Historical Museum for information on their stored historical railroad rolling stock and equipment. Visually, among other rolling stock, there is a stock car that appears well beyond repair - sagging frame, etc.-- a guess is early 1920s. Their nearly restored 2-6-0 steamer will be running soon on a new rail line. There is an active restoration group on site.
Second consideration is contact with the Laws Railroad Museum 5 miles north of Bishop, Calif… Bishop is north of Independence off same highway 395. They have restored and unrestored rolling stock.
Third source could be Campo, California – east of San Diego off Highway 8.
Campo is a historically-focused operating museum. Visually, a large area of restoration efforts in car barns with lots of rolling stock and parts in varied status of restoration or preservation. My guess, and it is one, you would attain information on sources they use.
Lastly, the California Railway Museum, Sacramento, Calif.
See if you can talk to people who get their hands dirty.
Good luck.
Wendell
Dave,
I am guessing that trucks are fast becoming unobtanium. with so many cars that the Friends and others have brought back to the rails the available supply is probably down to none. when the stock cars in Dulce finally turn to dust those might become available, probably others looking for them as well.
Good luck
Al P.
Quite interesting.
SE Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum in Newton, NC. just saved an 1890’s tank car from the scrappers torch this week.
Funny how these things work out. First there are none. Then suddenly there are two
Ralph