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RRAdventures: Railfanning South of Town (2010)

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RRAdventures: Railfanning South of Town (2010)
Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 1:37 PM

I think its more the past time to start-up the next chapter of RRAdvntures trip reports.

It's July 31st, 2010 and Lisa and I take off for just the day to capture more RR photo shots and this time we head South from home.

Our first stop is Castle Rock with our first item of interest being the D&RGW Depot.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 8:47 PM

The station has been beautifully restored, but I was really impressed when I read on their website that the stone building had been moved from it's original location (looks like several blocks distance.)

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 9:02 PM

That's correct Mike and in a future chapter of RRAdventures (12/17/2010) I will show you the inside as well as photographs they have showing the depot on a flatbed truck when it was moved.

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Thursday, February 9, 2012 8:51 AM

Here are a few more shots of the outside I uploaded last night for the trip report

Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot - Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot - Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot

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Posted by diningcar on Thursday, February 9, 2012 12:15 PM

Mr. Lion,  When you arrive at Palmer Lake there is a hiking-bicycle trial along the former Santa Fe line that was abandoned in the 1970's because the City of Colorado Springs wanted Santa Fe to move on to the D&RGW track and away from many street crossings in north C. Springs.

What is interesting is that the El Paso County Parks and Recreation Dept. chose to name this THE NEW SANTA FE TRAIL after the National Historic Santa Fe Trail (1821-1875) which is located in SE Colorado.

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Thursday, February 9, 2012 4:36 PM

That's Funny!!! Laugh

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Friday, February 10, 2012 8:52 AM

Across the way we find the AT&SF depot

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Posted by CopCarSS on Friday, February 10, 2012 10:21 AM

Darren,

I love your adventure series because I learn about stuff in my backyard that I never knew about. Thanks for sharing these!

 

Chris

-Chris
West Chicago, IL
Christopher May Fine Art Photography

"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Friday, February 10, 2012 10:47 AM

Thanks Chris!

You might also enjoy knowing that I am working to rebuild my RRAdventures website here in the near future.  What I have been calling "Project X" I have been slowing working on and when it's 100% ready it will get rolled out officially.  The "Project X" URL is only temporary so don't bookmark it for long-term reference but this should give you an idea of what I have been up to as time allows.  It will give Railfans a whole new feeling of where things are at in our backyard and will get expanded to cover ALLOT more then just what this working copy shows already

PROJECT X

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Saturday, February 11, 2012 11:04 AM

Stourbridge Lion

Across the way we find the AT&SF depot

Here are a couple more angles I took.  The first is from the D&RGW Depot looking across the highway.  If you look closely at the side of the depot in both shots you can see the RR Logo still somewhat there.

Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Depot - Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Depot

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Sunday, February 12, 2012 11:19 AM

Our next stop is in Sedalia where we track down the AT&SF Depot there...

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 11:28 AM

Here are a couple more shots I took of this depot...

Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Depot - Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Depot

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Posted by MidlandMike on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 12:30 PM

The Santa Fe logo on the Sedalia depot is a nice touch.  What is the building used for at the present time?

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 1:08 PM

Today it's a Private Home and with the high fence and scrubs it's not very visible for photography which might be the point.

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 6:52 PM

Before leaving Sedalia, we also tracked down this sign that contains historical information that those of us interested in Fallen Flags history is always important finds especially when there are old photos...

Close up shots...

Sedalia Railroad History - Sedalia Railroad History - Sedalia Railroad History

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 2:01 PM

After we left Sedalia heading towards Palmer Lake we came across a couple of strange cows in a field and when I say strange I mean Camels!  Not something you expect to find in Colorado but yet here they were…

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Thursday, February 16, 2012 8:32 AM

Reaching Palmer Lake we track down the AT&SF Depot that used to also be at Larkspur, CO and well we kind of found it.  It's a Private Home today and has been HEAVILY modified... Sigh

If I didn't have information that this was the depot I would have thought it was gone and well in many ways it is now. Sad

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Friday, February 17, 2012 10:37 AM

During on travels we passed under the Rio Grande Bridge at Monument, CO as a BNSF Coal Train passed by. Time to stop for a few shots...

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Sunday, February 19, 2012 2:46 PM

... and the other side of the bridge!

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 2:58 PM

Next stop:  Western Museum of Mining and Industry

So, let me ask those reading this trip report, do I just post the RR potion of this museum or would you like to see more about this museum? 


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Posted by MidlandMike on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 7:07 PM

I would also be interested in the mining aspect.

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Friday, February 24, 2012 4:17 PM

Western Museum of Mining and Industry

Let's go inside shale we...

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Monday, February 27, 2012 9:56 AM

The first thing you notice as you come in the door is a massive piece of equipment; it's a Corliss Steam Engine.

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Monday, February 27, 2012 1:20 PM

When I say massive, this thing took up allot of the floor space inside and YES, it's operational and was fun to watch and hear this thing chug along when they turned it on for a bit.

 

- -

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 1:31 PM

Here are a few more details shots of this beast I took...

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Posted by MidlandMike on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 7:23 PM

Was the big flywheel meant to turn belts ?   Did you notice if the generator was belt drive ?

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 9:13 AM

Yes, the belt on that would have turned everything else in the mill.  Before I finish the posts related to this museum I will post some video of this and other pieces of equipment running.

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 9:17 AM

We next go a demonstration of the "Edison Dynamo and a Orr and Sembower Steam Engine"

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Thursday, March 1, 2012 8:10 AM

There was also this Generator along the same wall

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Posted by Stourbridge Lion on Friday, March 2, 2012 8:57 AM

Our Tour Guide now takes us outside for more Demonstrations but we will go back in later to see the rest of the stuff inside.  Outside we are taken over to the "Osgood Steam Shovel" that he will fire up a bit for us.

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