The National Narrow Gauge Convention this year is in Denver August 29th through September 2nd. Although many members will be attending/hosting the convention, the Denver, South Park and Pacific Historical Society hopes to have at least one Como building, depot or roundhouse, open on Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd. Currently there are no plans to operate the steam locomotive. The locomotive is planned to operate for Boreas Pass Railroad Day on Saturday, August 19th. As plans for the convention become more firm this thread will be updated.
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You need a "critical mass" of historical equipment to make a successful tourist destination. Extending tracks to the wye is a must. East Broadtop has a couple of dozen rotting 3 foot hoppers. Hopefully you can get at least one passenger car on lease from a museum with a large collection. It would pay to put in a small dirt airstrip and windsock in those wide open spaces.
I think we were surprised by how much effort was required to lay the track we have. Working at 9800' altitude is tough! The main problem is driving spikes by hand. We're looking at other ways to get that done. Going to the wye involves building a small bridge/trestle and dealing with a washout. Hopefully visitors to Boreas Pass Railroad Day and those from the convention will get us needed attention and support.
The Law's Railroad museum has many three-foot gauge cars rotting away in need of restoration. They are in desperate need of paint and TLC. Loss of 2 or 3 would not affect their museum operation. It would pay to ask them to de-acession one or two for Como.
Tommy, I passed along your information to the society president. Thank you.
David, Boreas Pass Railroad Day is this coming Saturday and I plan to be there and will take many pictures. The steam locomotive is supposed to arrive tomorrow, Tuesday, and hopefully the turntable lead will be connected to the turntable also on Tuesday. Of course I will add the pictures here.
I'll ask the same question here that I asked over on Trainorder.com; why are there no bogies on either end of the turntable bridge? Someone then posted something about installing the bogies later. That means that the turntable bridge will have to be lifted again by crane.
At any rate, they are making excellent progress.
Jack, The rebuilt turntable bogies arrived in the fuel space in the tender. They need to be mounted on the bridge which will be placed with the crane like you said. The locomotive is supposed to arrive tomorrow, Tuesday.
Wow it's Leighton! Looking good
Cool!
Bob, Come say hi. I'll be the tall bald guy wearing a Tilley hat!
John Meixel posted:Bob, Come say hi. I'll be the tall bald guy wearing a Tilley hat!
Um, if you'll be wearing a hat, how will we know that you're bald?
Good question. Well you have my lovely picture to look at and I did say it was a Tilley hat.
During the event yesterday I was able to get two others to commit to help on Saturday and Sunday, 9/2 and 9/3. We talked to DSP&PHS society president Bob Schoppe and he agreed that we can now staff the depot and roundhouse both days. We don't have exact times now but we will be staffed all day. I doubt that the locomotive will be operating. I will provide more details as we figure things out.
I have just learned that steam locomotive #4 will be operating on Saturday, 9/2, from 1-4 pm. It may also operate on Sunday.
I am registered for the Narrow Gauge Convention, but will have to kiss it off for medical reasons. I had hoped to get to Come, as have not been there since there was just the stone roundhouse in an empty field. As was last year's Maine convention, the NG one is not to be missed.
I'm sorry you can't make it. Trains will be running in Como next year and thereafter. Hopefully you can come then!
John thanks for posting. Although I had planed to volunteer and attend I was called in to work the entire weekend at my real job. I will be volunteering 2 nights at the convention and 2 nights at the Lockheed Martin Ho/HOn3 club layout which is open for the convention. So they laid track from the roundhouse to the turntable, to the restored Como station, purchased and restored a steam engine - what's next? What are people hinting at? Obviously they have 3 directions they could possibly go along the old roadbed - east, west, north or nowhere. Any rumors?
Kent,
The original plan is to put in more of the yard tracks starting with extending the mainline past the roundhouse and adding the passing siding that goes on the other side of the former water tank location. As far as I know that's the current plan. No additional work days have yet been scheduled but I expect that to happen once the convention is over.
I have more details about this coming weekend, September 2nd and 3rd, in Como.
Steam locomotive #4 will be steamed up sometime on Saturday and moved onto the turntable. This will allow the roundhouse stall #5 track to be leveled. We are looking for volunteers to help with the track work. After the work is completed I don't know if the engine will continue to be operated that day.
The engine is not planned to be operated on Sunday.
On both Saturday and Sunday the roundhouse and depot will be open for viewing.
What is the exact name and mailing address of the Como preservation group?
Tommy,
Thank you for asking. There is more than one group. I belong to the Denver, South Park and Pacific Historical Society, www.dspphs.org. Its address is P.O. Box 26, Buena Vista, CO 81211-0026. We have been primarily responsible for laying the track in Como.
Another is the South Park Rail Society, www.southparkrail.com. Its address is 2253 N. Downing. St., Denver, CO 80205. They are responsible for the locomotive, roundhouse, and turntable.