Steam & Excursion > Como Turntable Installed Aug 11, 2017

Como, CO; Turntable was set onto center bearing pivot by Breckenridge Crane Services cranes at former Denver, South Park & Pacific Railway (later Colorado & Southern Railway) Como roundhouse. Steam engine #4, Baldwin built 2-6-2, arrived by truck August 15, 2017. Boreas Pass Day on Saturday August 19, 2017 invites visitors to see this South Park Rail Society project.

Denver, South Park & Pacific Railway Historical Society volunteers have rebuilt the narrow gauge track. Only an hour drive by way of Highway 285 from Denver, CO.

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All those going to Como this weekend are lucky that you can engage in history of the track reconstruction. Dress as if you will be in a movie for your part, as you will be photographed, and best to have leather shoes, hardhat, gloves, and the tool of you liking. Best to have lining bars, and shovels show up. Good spiking mauls will be needed, but also heavy hammers to set the spikes. Long lining bars are needed to nip the ties while they are being spiked, hopefully two nipper on each tie end, and for joint crews to line track over. Bring bolt wrenches. Never stick a finger in a rail hole.
Drills are helpful for setting spikes in advance, electric, or gas.

Track should be built by spacing the ties on the ground, use tie tongs -4 to tie, then the field spike put in the same distance from the end of the tie on the dressed side that you want to be straight. Then the rail set on the ties and bolted together, and one rail spiked tight from one end to the other. Without the weight of the second rail on the ties, then one rail track should be lined with manual labor to make it curve correctly where you want it. All those with good RR lining bars will use their body weight to move the track. It is much easier while only one rail is spiked.

Next, lay the second rail on the ties, and beginning at one end only, proceed in one direction and spike ever other tie to gage, have two track gauges in use, one on each side of the tie to be spiked. People looking for light work can handle the track gauges and keep them in place to help the spikers, and nippers. Keeping a safe distance apart, follow with a second crew to finish up with the every other tie to be spiked as that will work better to keep working people apart. Watch for clearance to swing the spike maul. The supervisor in charge should keep the jobs small and keep the folks apart by assigning all the projects of moving material and doing prep work as soon as people show up.

What I would like to know is what size track spike is being use so they can be shipped from Keystone Spike Co. at Lebanon, Pa and what is the shipping address? Smaller spikes are about 75 cents each. Anybody having used spikes that have good necks and not bent would be welcome.

This could be the event of your life time to build track out ahead of the steam engine powered work train. I have a great 4x8 push cart that should be used in that project but would be very costly to ship unless someone from the east can just put a trailer on their car going to Como.

Anyone that has been part of the reconstruction of the WW&F in Maine would know how they handle the volume of people to have a job for everyone and should be put in charge of one of the many projects.

BE CAREFUL AND WORK SAFE.

PS: Nipping is the use of a lining bar under the side end of a tie, using a small block to press on to pressure down on the lining bar to push up or hold a tie in place and make it solid for the spiking of that tie. Many ends of ties are not solid to rough ground and need to be pressed up using a nipper on each side of the end of that tie. A third nipper could work under the actual end of that tie, using 3 nippers will surely hold it for faster spike driving.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/17 07:20 by PlyWoody.

Were turntables of the era built to a standard size? I'm asking since this one is from another location I suspect the fact it fits Como was not pure luck.

Milwaukee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Were turntables of the era built to a standard
> size? I'm asking since this one is from another
> location I suspect the fact it fits Como was not
> pure luck.

Why wouldn't fit, as it is my understanding that it is the ORIGINAL turntable from that location?

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Milwaukee Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Were turntables of the era built to a standard
> > size? I'm asking since this one is from
> another
> > location I suspect the fact it fits Como was
> not
> > pure luck.
>
> Why wouldn't fit, as it is my understanding that
> it is the ORIGINAL turntable from that location?

I didn't think this was the original but I could be wrong. I understand it was obtained offsite and had to be transported to Como making me assume it was not the original but possibly the Como turntable was moved elsewhere for storage at some point after the rails were pulled. I would appreciate if someone could confirm if this is the original Como turntable being returned to service.

Thanks.

We don't know if it's the original turntable but it could be. There is another turntable bridge, of the same size, in Silver Plume, that could also be the original. Both were holding up a roof of a building in Denver at one time.

I think that this being from the same era its plenty close enough. Also think it is a great event that one of anything close is being installed there also.