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Building the Last Train to Nowhere
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40895
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Author:  John T [ Fri Jul 14, 2017 4:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Building the Last Train to Nowhere

Sorry, that should have been 13 miles by 1906.

Author:  Saveitforparts [ Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Building the Last Train to Nowhere

Its possible they had 35 miles graded but without track laid, you can see about 32 miles of grade on Google Earth. The original route was supposed to run nearly twice that distance, from the beach at Dickson/Solomon to the mining town of Council City. The promoters hoped to expand to other mining towns and camps later on. They may have also intended to bring in bigger locomotives once the line was turning a profit.

It was pretty common for small Alaska lines to try and get by with the minimum (or less than the minimum) to start with. I often see pictures of little 0-4-0 saddle tankers trying to haul full-size freight cars, or rolling stock cobbled together from 4th-hand horse-drawn streetcars.

The CS&SRRR was one of several railroads planned in the area. The other well-known line went by a variety of names including the Wild Goose, Nome-Arctic, Seward Peninsula RR, and later the Nome-Shelton Tram. I could start another thread on this narrow gauge line, it's also pretty interesting.

Another standard gauge line called the Bering Sea & Council City RR was planned from Nome to Golovin Bay via Council City. Supposedly two standard-gauge H.K. Porter locomotives were shipped to Nome for use in construction, but I haven't been able to verify if they actually arrived or if they're still in existence.

On this map, the as-graded standard gauge CC&SRRR is in blue, the narrow-gauge Seward Peninsula RR is in red, The disconnected satellite branch of the Wild Goose out of Council City is in yellow, and the surveyed but unbuilt Bering River & Council City railroad is in orange. The short pink lines around Nome were small mining or freighting tramways.

Attachment:
Seward Peninsula 2.jpg
Seward Peninsula 2.jpg [ 298.64 KiB | Viewed 4337 times ]

Author:  twofoot [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 3:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Building the Last Train to Nowhere

Does anyone know of a source for blueprints or general arrangement drawings for the Manhattan Elevated forneys and their coaches? Either the Baldwin or Rhode Island works engines would suffice.

Thanks

C.

Author:  krumreich, Ted [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Building the Last Train to Nowhere

Try the DeGolyer Library collection of Baldwin records at Southern Methodist University, they are likely the most accessible. I believe Baldwin records are also kept at California Railroad Museum in Sacramento and in the archives of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Author:  twofoot [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Building the Last Train to Nowhere

krumreich, Ted wrote:
Try the DeGolyer Library collection of Baldwin records at Southern Methodist University, they are likely the most accessible. I believe Baldwin records are also kept at California Railroad Museum in Sacramento and in the archives of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.


I had forgotten those, thank you. Any idea who has the Rhode Island Works files?

C.

Author:  Dick_Morris [ Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Building the Last Train to Nowhere

Baldwin drawings from about 1940 on are at the Pennsylvania State Archives. Lima drawings are at CSRM and the Allen County Historical Society. All have large collections and I've obtained many drawings for our USATC Consolidation from each, probably a total of at least 150 drawings. I've heard that a number of earlier BLW drawings are at DeGolyer, but they weren't relevant to our project so I've didn't pursue that source. It appears that only a small part of the ALCO drawings were preserved and they seem to be scattered around.

Author:  twofoot [ Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Building the Last Train to Nowhere

krumreich, Ted wrote:
Try the DeGolyer Library collection of Baldwin records at Southern Methodist University, they are likely the most accessible. I believe Baldwin records are also kept at California Railroad Museum in Sacramento and in the archives of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.


Sadly, this information is not part of the collection. The search continues...

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