In response to a Facebook post regarding the situation on Cumbres Pass at this time of year, January 2017, a few pictures were passed back and forth. A proper response has to deal with the "Devil" of the San Juan Extension, the snow problem. I have written about the snow removal equipment previously and the difficulty of operating a "snow train." Keep in mind the snow issue was a driving factor in operations of the extension over the portion from Antonito to Chama. In all the effort ranged over 45 miles of the district and the worst of the problems wasn't at Cumbres it was at Windy Point just below the Pass to the west and at the most difficult through the Los Pinos Section below the Pass to the east. By its nature the snow problem is a significant element of the interpretation during
the six hours of the 64 mile journey on the Cumbres and Toltec. -
44 of 64 miles -
Let's begin with a picture taken this morning from a highway camera of the Colorado Department of Transportation at Cumbres Pass. This picture was taken after a storm deposited over 18" of snow through a 12 hour period.
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| Cumbres Pass 01-25-2017 |
The Cumbres Section House is just outside the frame of reference to the left in this picture. Compare this picture to the following historic picture:
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| Cumbres Pass - unknown date prior to 1965 |
The snow in this picture is well in excess of 6' in depth and has been clearly cut. Note the man standing on top of the impacted snow and the level of the snow at the Section House.
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| Steam Powered Rotary Snow Plow stalled in drifting snow |
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Snow depths through the drifts range up to 20' in places.
The railroad built 13,000' of snow sheds between Coxo Curve below Cumbres (MP 332.20) and Cascade Trestle (MP 319.95) to combat the snow problem. The snow sheds proved ineffective and by the 1920's all had been remove intentionally or by fire. The introduction of higher powered locomotives changed the game and the railroad resorted to the power of steam driven rotary snow plows and other equipment such as pilot snow plows, still seen mounted on various K36's, or flangers.
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| C&TS Steam Powered Rotary Snow Plow "OY" below Windy Point |
The problem at Los Pinos is related to the geography of the place.
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| Los Pinos Reverse Curve |
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Los pinos lies in general North/South direction in a long shallow valley created by glacial action. At the lower end of the valley the track curves east and in the particular area where the tracks turn east the snow problem became worse. The prevailing winds come over the ridge to the north and west. The blowing snow drifts in sheltered areas such as the lee side of the slopes. Even at the Los Pinos Tank (Red Circle), which is in a relatively open area, snow conditions were difficult.
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| Los Pinos Tank in Winter |
From Lava Tank (MP 291.55) through Big Horn Wye (MP 299.4), Sublette (MP 306.06), Osier (MP 318.40) Los Pinos (MP 325), Cumbres (MP 330.60) and finally to Coxo (MP 332.30) snow was continually battled in the winter.
Other Colorado Narrow Gauge railroads had snow problems of often "biblical" proportion, such as the Alpine Tunnel, or the Rio Grande Southern.
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| Rio Grand Southern above Rico |
Arguably the most organized and successful effort at fighting the "Devil" had to be the San Juan Extension. Snow sheds, snow plows, drifts, closures, train wrecks, damaged rail they are all part of the history and fabric of the San Juan Extension and they make for the telling of a great story.
This is Los Pinos in August, 2016:
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| Los Pinos 2016 - From "Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum" | |
