C&S Tales: retrieving rail in 1948

Entire text of Irv August’s story can be found in the Feb. 1991 Rocky Mountain Rail Report. www.drgw.net/rm...
All photos with *: Ed Haley Photographs from Feb. 1991 Rocky Mountain Rail Report
Video of C&S 9 by Keith W. Platt’s Steam Almanac • USA 02 GLRR 27-07-06 G...
Arial drone photos by Dave Moore
Additional photos from:
Historic Alpine Tunnel by Dow Helmers
Denver, South Park & Pacific by M.C. Poor
The South Park Line by Mallory Hope Ferrell
Rail on plaque: author’s collection. Section of rail from near east portal.
M.C. Poor holding up book: June 1965 The Denver Westerners Monthly Roundup
Author’s Collection, including photos of west portal area with rail still in place from photos purchased via the Friends of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad Historic Photos Collection. ngtrainpics.ph...

[@XxXGhostXxX417]

Thank you for sharing this gem.

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's fun to find and share stories like these.

[@Jason-Rose]

OUTSTANDING!

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

Thanks!

[@donalddunscomb8495]

Bravo! Outstanding video with regard to both content and production. The way you superimposed the videos of the locomotives over those wonderful, historic photos was quite remarkable. I have a copy of the Memorial Edition of “Denver, South Park & Pacific” published in 1976. I remember that Dad always wanted to have the first edition but for some reason, he never obtained one. I also have book number 265 of the “Pictorial Supplement to Denver South Park & Pacific” inscribed with these words: “To Guy Dunscomb, a fellow author and railroad book publisher, with our best regards.” It’s signed by R. H. Kindig, E. J. Haley, and M.C. Poor. There’s a note in Dad’s handwriting - “Received Dec. 5, 1959.” I still have the maps that were included with the book. And somewhere, I also have the section of rail he received, though I can’t find it right now. (I’ve moved several times and it’s in one of the boxes I haven’t opened since our last move.) Dad took great pride in those books. We took both of them when we went on our pilgrimages to the Alpine Tunnel - once in 1972, and once in the late ’70s. The first to the west portal and the second to the east portal. On one of those trips, we visited Dick Kindig in his home. When Dad passed away in 2000, these books were passed on to me. I treasure them. Thanks again, for such a wonderful video. I am a subscriber to your channel and I’m always delighted to see a new video show up in my feed.

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

Thanks so much, Donald. I too have the Memorial Edition. From what I've learned about M.C. Poor's process, they only printed a certain number and melted the type along the way so they couldn't make more copies (as a money-saving measure). Needless to say, that made the few copies jump up in price as the book's popularity took off. Thankfully, a few years after Poor's death, the Memorial Edition was published. It's really amazing that you have a signed copy of the Pictorial Supplement! Boy, would I love to see that piece of rail. I have one piece, but it's from the east portal area (there's a photo/scan of it late in the video above) that I got via the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club maybe ten years ago. I love that you carried the books up to the tunnel. Those are hefty books! I did the same thing many years back in an attempt to get some before and after photos. I would love to know what it was like to visit Dick Kindig. Did you father write some rail books? Thanks again for sharing and commenting. I'm really glad you enjoyed the video.

[@donalddunscomb8495]

@@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853 Yes, Dad was a noted author about west coast railroads. His titles include, "A Century of Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives" (which is still the "bible" of SP historians and modelers), "Western Pacific Steam Locomotives, Passenger Trains, and Cars," (The WP was his favorite railroad and we spent many pleasant hours together traveling up and down the Feather River Canyon chasing trains and taking then and now photos.), and the last two, which we published together, were Vol. 1 of "Southern Pacific Steam Pictorial" (covering the locomotives through the 2800 series), and Vol. II which covered the 2900-5000 series. He wrote quite a few others, but these are his most famous. I don't remember much about that visit with Dick Kindig. Just vague memories of a house that, while neat and tidy, didn't seem to have been updated since the 1940s. And a basement that was full of railroad memorabilia. And maybe his darkroom? I couldn't swear to that, though. I think Dad told me that Dick was born and raised in the house, and inherited it from his parents. I don't think he ever married. As I write this, I remember that Dick joined us for a trip up the old Argentine Central grade all the way to remains of Waldorf. He was a wealth of knowledge and anecdotes about his days taking pictures along the various Denver area railroads during the steam days. I remember that we carried Abbott's "Stairway to the Stars" book about the Argentine Central. Maybe you could do some videos about that little pike?? "Ghost Tracking the Argentine Central."

[@markthomas6436]

I have the reprints also. The links to the old South Park are strong for me now. When I was a young railfan and modeler, I thought the dinky Mason Bogies were silly. Now, I would dearly love to see one preserved and restored to operation. 😊

[@ModelRailroading]

I enjoyed that very much. Well done. Thanks.

[@DBHert]

Nice job -- thank you for the work to compile this, read the original text and of course the video production to visualize the history. Loved it.

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

Thank you. I always start out these projects thinking, "Oh this one will be simple," and it always gets complicated! Thanks for appreciating the work that goes into it.

[@galaxieman1964]

Very well done. Just came across your videos. Love em!!

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

So glad you enjoy them! They are a joy to put together.

[@sistersweetshomemadepopsic6498]

Awesome job on the video! Oh and btw did you find the C &S narrow gauge yet?

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

:) I keep looking! I bet we'll find it on our next family trip...hopefully without very cold camping experiences.

[@plinthley]

Awesome story and production. Loved it!

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@TheHollyHobo]

Thank you for sharing! I had been at Aipine Tunnel 18 years ago, that`s a very nice reminder.

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

It's an amazing place!

[@guybretz4423]

Awsome in the tunnel in early 80s good memory

[@Hogger280]

An interesting bit of animation at the beginning.

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

Thanks, it was fun to play around with it.

[@tracynation239]

An excellent video. ♡ T.E.N.

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

Thanks!

[@TRAINBUILDER]

Great Content!

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

[@xizang3815]

How many collectors are out there with just the end pieces of antique rails, with the steel mill dates and such rolled into the rail? I had a piece dated 1884 from the old Colorado & Southern in SE Denver I got 50 years ago. But alas, a divorce and kids plundering my stuff leaves me without. I sure would like to find another antique before I die...

[@searchingforthecsnarrowgau8853]

I just have a small sliver of rail from the east portal that the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club was giving out several years ago if you gave a donation or something.

[@johnnyjames7139]

I have a 5" piece of rail from the D&RG Crested Butte branch.