The Changing Face of the East Portal of Alpine Tunnel
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ธ.ค. 2018
- Photo Credits:
1. Photo: Author’s collection
2. Map: Author’s Collection, C&S 1913 Valuation Map
3. Curved portal - Violet Squires Howard collection, from Historic Alpine Tunnel by Down Helmers
4. Alpine Tunnel Diagram, from Historic Alpine Tunnel by Down Helmers
5. 1880 Construction shot, Violet Squires Howard collection, from Historic Alpine Tunnel by Down Helmers
6. east portal in snow - Pintrest
7. Train at portal. Dr. Newton photo, Francis Rizzari collection, from Historic Alpine Tunnel by Down Helmers
8. 1939 Carol Weiss Collection, from South Park’s Gunnison Division Memories & Then Some by Tom and Denise Klinger
9. 1950 John Hallinan Collection, from South Park’s Gunnison Division Memories & Then Some by Tom and Denise Klinger
10. 1986 Al Pomeroy Collection
11. 1988 Todd Hackett Collection
12. 2003 Author’s Collection
13. 2018 Author’s Collection
14. 1939 Carol Weiss Collection, from South Park’s Gunnison Division Memories & Then Some by Tom and Denise Klinger
15. 1950 John Hallinan Collection, from South Park’s Gunnison Division Memories & Then Some by Tom and Denise Klinger
16. 1986 Al Pomeroy Collection
17. 1988 Todd Hackett Collection
18. 2003 Author’s Collection
19. 2018 Author’s Collection
20. east portal in snow - Pintrest
21. Curved portal - Violet Squires Howard collection, from Historic Alpine Tunnel by Down Helmers
22. 1950 John Hallinan Collection, from South Park’s Gunnison Division Memories & Then Some by Tom and Denise Klinger
23. 1988 East Portal interior Todd Hackett Collection
24. 1992 Author’s Collection
25. Curved track at snowy angled portal DSP&P PS H.H. Buckwalter photo, from Library, State Historical Society of Colorado, from DSP&P Pictorial Supplement, Abridged Edition
26. 1986 Al Pomeroy Collection
27. 1880 Construction shot, Violet Squires Howard collection, from Historic Alpine Tunnel by Down Helmers
28. 2018 Author’s Collection
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AMAZING! I’m absolutely captivated by all of your videos!
So glad you like them!
I haven’t spent much time in Colorado but with all of the narrow gauge railway history it looks very interesting.
Hey man. I think your doing an awesome job of documenting all of this wonderful Colorado history. There’s not enough info about the South Park/C&S. In this area. Keep up the great work!
Thanks a lot! I love contributing to the knowledge of the C&S. I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
Made there in the early 1990s and you could still drive to the East Portal at that time. Went inside the short distance that was open.
Was the east portal mostly filled up or could you see down to the rail?
@@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853 Mostly filled in. I have video over on my own channel.
I've been reading my brother's Sundance Press series of railroad books. He gave me the three "Mineral Belt" volumes. I just finished reading through the first volume about the C&S narrow gauge line. Great books and full of photos! I'm a Colorado native and come from three generations here, but I knew nothing about the narrow gauge railroad until I picked up these books. I work near the Platte canyon entrance at Waterton and have driven HWY 285 many times to Fairplay and beyond to the Arkansas Valley, but never knew the C&S line ran up that canyon and along the 285 route and up through the Alpine Tunnel and beyond and served the Leadville mining district. What great and rich history, but it makes me sad that the railroad is gone and only bits and pieces of the railbed remain. Also sad that the old Mason Bogie locomotives weren't preserved except for the one at the Henry Ford Museum. I'm glad some folks have done some rebuilding at Como. So, obviously others love that old line, too and would like to see some of it restored. I plan to visit Como this summer to see the restoration and the locomotive they have. I hope to hike some of the old railbed. Too bad the Alpine Tunnel is now caved in and the locomotive house fallen down after the fire. Thanks for posting this great video! It added to my appreciation of that old railroad and the hard work that went into it.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and have found the joy of the C&S narrow gauge. I got hooked over thirty years ago and have enjoyed it ever since. If you want to read more, check out my blog dedicated to the remains of the C&S narrow gauge: www.alpinetunnel.blogspot.com
I hope to make it to Platte Canyon sometime in the future.
Was there when the East end was open and you could go inside it quite a ways, but seemed dangerous to proceed. Good video showing it's decline over the years. Was one heck of a rough road the last time I drove into it over all the old rail road ties.
Really great job, I have been to both sides of the tunnel dozens of times, nice to see someone spend the time to track the East end :)
Hey, thanks! The west portal side does get lots of coverage, even if lots of it is from Jeep-ers and ATV riders. I was really excited to get more coverage to the east side which I have found even more compelling mainly because it hasn't been made car-worthy.
Great work. I loved the miles of railway trail south of the east entrance on the Colorado Trail
I love that stretch too. While there's some amazing structures on the western approach, I like how the east side has been less developed.
Subscribed. Fantastic videos. Thanks.
Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoy them! They are a joy to make.
Great work. Thanks for your efforts.
I appreciate it. Thanks!
So what took the place of the Alpine tunnel when is was abandoned?
The Rio Grande (D&RG) had already reached Gunnison (the same place the DSP&P/C&S used the Alpine Tunnel to reach). The Rio Grande route over Marshal Pass was much longer from a mileage standpoint, but much easier to maintain, unlike the hazardous and snow prone Alpine pass. Basically, the Rio Grande become the only route from Denver to Gunnison and it lasted until the early 1950s. The remaining parts of the C&S on the western side of the Alpine Tunnel (now cut off from the rest of that RR's system) were also essentially given over the Rio Grande and run by them.
@@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853 Thanks for the info. I just obtained a copy of the "Denver South Park & Pacific" Memorial edition and a copy of "Narrow Gauge in the Rockies" is on its way. So sad that these line are gone and in many cases hard to trace; like the Como wye which is hard to see even from a drone.
@@Hogger280 If it's still in print, I recommend that you find and read "Goin' Railroading" by Margaret Coel, as told by Sam Speas. Sam's father ran the Alpine tunnel route, and Sam also later worked on the DSP&P. Fascinating book. People definitely were a different breed back then.
Unfortunately it was never maintained and because of that the whole tunnel will eventually collapse
Yeah, it is a sad. I'm glad a number of people got in to take photos and video over the years.