Karl, There's one more color to consider......gold. On Sept. 5, 1924, the
Q announced that passengers on the CB&Q east of Denver would be riding on a
roadbed of gold. The 400 miles would be ballasted with slag from the gold
and silver mines of Colorado. Each ton of this ballast contained at least
$2 worth of gold ore. The quantity was too small for the smelting companies
to get out profitably with machinery then in use. Great piles of this slag
had accumulated in and around Denver and other points in Colorado. The
Burlington contracted for a large part of it. The Burlington announced that
in time, a roadbed of gold would cover the entire system. REPUBLICAN
REGISTER WAF
----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl L Rethwisch" <karlre@r...>
To: <BRHSlist@egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2001 10:28 AM
Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] Ballast.
> On the C&S north and parts of the Q, in the areas close to Denver, the
ballast was decomposed granite obtained from pits on the UP. We still get
ballast trains delivered to Cheyenne from UP.
>
> On the C&S south lines a product of volcanic activity was "substituted"
for ballast, scoria, crushed volcanic cinders. This material performs far
better in gas grilles than it does under RR track. When placed as ballast
it becomes pulverized below the ties and, as a result, affords no drainage.
When the massive rail relay gangs of the early eighties began to install 132
lb. CWR on the C&S south of Walsenburg, CO. the entire line had to be
undercut to remove all traces of the scoria and replaced it with real
ballast, namely, decomposed granite. The granite came from several
different geographical areas of the country mainly because the enormous
quantities needed could not be provided any single source. The colors are,
generally, red and black.
>
> Karl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Paul Evans
> To: BRHSlist@egroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2001 5:16 AM
> Subject: [BRHSlist] Ballast.
>
>
> I have checked back to message 6000 and no data.
>
> What mineral did was used as ballast fro the tracks in Colorado and
> where was it mined.
>
> Paul Evans
>
>
> eGroups Sponsor
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
|