A kit for a D&RGW Durango coaling tower, that I was watching, sold for big bugs on the internet auction. This tower looked a lot like the one at Chama, but were they (almost) identical? And I was wondering if similar towers were used by the standard gauge lines of the D&RGW, or at other locations on the narrow gauge lines? Or were other styles
of towers used on the standard gauge lines?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
The Colorado (yes, they went into other states as well) lines had a look to themselves, to include pretty much all structures.
Also, big coaling towers were not a regular fixture among other narrow-gauge lines, especially ones east of the Mississippi.
Chama and Durango, narrow gauge, coaling towers are well known (with kits), and there are kits for D&RGW water towers that can be built for narrow or standard gauge, but I have not seen photos, that I recall, of Grande standard gauge coaling towers, such as were in the yards in Denver, Soldier Summit, Ogden, or wherever.
Believe Chama and Durango coaling towers were unique to the narrow gauge, at those locations. Even the facility at Alamosa was a trestle type, with a long ramp for shoving cars of coal up to the dumping bins. Perhaps because the narrow gauge locomotives had smaller coal capacities, those terminals had smaller towers. Gunnison may have had a similar coaling tower - from memory, w/o doing research.
Here's the standard gauge tower at helper station Minturn: http://digital.denverlibrary.o...ll22/id/79804/rec/17
Much bigger, but then, look at that L131!!
Looked it up. Yes, Gunnison had the same style coaling tower as Chama and Durango.
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
