Sometime back, after the completion of the California & Nevada Bridge line from Salina to Mound House, the management of the Colorado Consolidated started seeing the efficiency of the use of oil as a fuel on the Carson & Colorado.
A little while later, and on-line manufacturer CSC Innovations was convinced to begin construction of conversion bunkers for the CCRy locomotives.
The first to be converted was 4-6-0 #83, which was used in “pool” service down the bridge line to Mound House to use the fuels available on the C&C. Next was the big Mallet, #51, which was also used in this service.
Then, Shays #4 and #5 were converted, which freed up the coaling facilites in the camps and the need to transport coal loads up into the hills.
Climax #6 was converted next, then another 4-6-0, # 85.
Today, test-fits were performed on the line’s 4-4-0 and 2-6-0, to allow this double-head pair of passenger engines to utilize the oiling facilities.
Orders were placed for these, and orders for 2 more flat-topped bunkers for the line’s older 2-8-0’s.
We still have a couple of ancient wood-burning 2-6-0’s stored, serviceable, out behind the roundhouse that will probably not be converted, as newer power is now on the line, so by the new year we may see a complete conversion to oil and the retiring of the coaling towers.
The Oil Depot at the north end of Mound House has been expanding to meet this new need, and oil tanks have been installed, and tank cars obtained, several from barge traffic to the Bay from Skagway, then the C&N to the interchange with the CCRy at Salina.
The firemen are quite happy about this change, as are the fire marshalls.
General Manager, CCRy
TOC