Cumbres & Toltec bridges

Hi Folks:

What other bridges are on the C&T? I was looking at a route map and it would seem there are quite a few little creeks and washes yet few photos or info seems to be available. Most photos want to highlight the Cascade and Labato trestles. I made those some time ago (and have TS2012/SP1/HF4 versions ready to upload with different kuids so as not to mess up anyone's route using the older versions). I also recently made 2 versions of the Cumbres Pass Bridge (which are already on the DLS) but what about others?

I have found references to:
Hangman's Trestle.
Chama River Trestle (which appears to be a thru truss of some sort).
Conejos River Bridge (also a thru truss of some sort).

There have to be more then those I'd think.

Any photos and basic info would be greatly appreciated. In about a week I will be going off line for 4 to 6 weeks (moving) so would like to have some items to work on even if I can't check in on forums for a while.

Thanks,

Ben

From what I am able to recall at the moment, most of the bridges that are on the line are just trestles. Cascade, Labato, and the Chama River are different. Cumbres Pass (old highway 17 crossing) is a trestle. Most of the bridges (trestles) are used to cross small streams and washes. I am forgetting when this happened, yet, (I think) the Rio Grande started to replace some of the smaller trestles for culverts to cut down on maintenance of the bridges.

There were some other, more iconic, bridges west of Chama. There was a truss bridge in Gato, a plate girder in Arboles (after the realignment), and various truss and trestles between Chama and Durango.

This is what I'm able to recall at the moment. The coffee has not kick in yet this morning.....

Hi Thad:

I know what you mean about the mornings coffee needed to get the old heart started in the morning.

That's what I suspected with the trestles but where, how long, and how tall info seems to be non-extant. Lots of trestle splines available so perhaps no need for me to make those. The one photo I found of the hangman's trestle shows it fairly long but out in the middle of nowhere. Did they really travel that far just to hang some poor horse thief? :hehe:

On the other hand the Chama and Conejos River Bridges would make a nice pair of projects if I can get sufficient info. Photos from the side and some idea as to overall length.

Now here's a thought:
C&T and D&S routes have been made over the years. What if someone made a route to reconnect them following the original prototype route and arranged the two end baseboards (height, track placement, etc.) so they could be merged with those C&T and D&S routes? Would result in a very nice and prototypical "mega-route" and generate a lot of happy narrow gauge Trainzers I'd think. I'd be glad to make any bridges needed.

Ben

That sounds like an excellent idea.

Doris B. Osterald's book "Ticket to Toltec" gives a mile by mile description of the Cumbres & Toltec line. It also includes some great pictures, descriptions of the geology, and flora of the region. Used copies are available for a couple of bucks on Amazon. I've referred several C&RS RR builders to that excellent publication. Ben: I'm using your bridges in my protypical route. As some of the other commenters have stated many of the older trestles were filled in using culverts.

bendorsey said:

Now here's a thought:
C&T and D&S routes have been made over the years. What if someone made a route to reconnect them following the original prototype route and arranged the two end baseboards (height, track placement, etc.) so they could be merged with those C&T and D&S routes? Would result in a very nice and prototypical "mega-route" and generate a lot of happy narrow gauge Trainzers I'd think.

Click to expand...

TBH, I did recently print out the elevation maps and hand draw a map on 40+ sheets of computer paper and taped it to my wall in my room......

If somebody is able to make a DEM and also include the Farmington Branch as well as the line up to Alamosa (and maybe the Chili Line) I could take a stab at it...... A route that large will require a team to work on it. It be waaaaayyyyy to large for a single person to do it.

I'm not a route builder. Haven't made one in 8 or 9 years but couldn't a project like that be broken up into segments which if the folks making the various sub-assemblies would get together and agree on the configuration of the end baseboards be fairly easy to merge into the complete "mega" route. By that I mean one gent make the part that connects the C&T and the D&S, another the Chili line to El Paso, another the Farmington Branch, another the Pagosa Springs Branch, and so on?

Ben

Ben: I have a copy of ticket to toltec you can use PM me.
George

Here's (what little) info I have been able to find:
1. Arboles Plate Girder Bridge. One photo from the side but it doesn't quite show the complete bridge. It appears to consist of 4 spans one of which is longer then the other three. Need overall length and length of the different spans.
2. Conejos River Bridge (near Antonito I think). One photo from a good angle. Looks to be 120 feet long if I assume the individual parts of the truss are 20 feet each. Unless someone knows differently I will go with this.
3. Chama River Bridge. Two photos. Bridge consists of two thru trusses 160 feet long using the 20 foot truss section length as used on the Conejos Bridge. Again unless someone knows differently I will go with this.
4. Costilla Crossing (near Antonito I think). Bridge consists of two thru trusses 160 feet long but a bit different from the Chama bridge. Again unless someone knows differently I will go with this.
5. Gato Bridge. Still looking. Only photo I can find is from a bad angle. Need one from the side. Looks to be 80 or 100 feet long.
6. Dulce, NM Bridge. I have a good photo of a 160 foot single span truss. Again if unless someone knows differently I will go with this.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Ben

George:

I did send you a PM. Did you get it?

Ben

Sorry Ben: My wife and I work for a firedept. Been a bad two days. I'm not sure if some people are born stupid or they practice at it. Anyway looked at Ticket to Toltec and there are not a lot of pics of bridges that are really very good and they are few and far between. You are still welcome to the book however. Will email you my address and I can send it to you. I will keep looking through my other material
George

Ben: sent you address by email, Let me know if and when you get them, DSL is not working up to par, we have a ranch in the middle of nowhere.
Georg

Oops:

I didn't recognize the sender of the e-mails so deleted (both) of them. :'( Like a lot of Trainzers my life is on my computer so I tend to be very careful when it comes to e-mails from sources I don't recognize. Yes - your not the first Trainzer who's e-mail's I have accidently deleted (and probably won't be the last either).:hehe:

In an event since I'm moving in a week its best not to send me the book. I think I have enough info to make the Chama River, Conejos River, Costilla Crossing, Dulce, and Arboles Bridges. Plus I will (as usual) make a bunch of variations of them. Longer, shorter, and combinations adding deck plate girders from Arboles to the others. This gives folks options in addition to the original.

If there are any other bridges mentioned in the book would you pass the names and where located (if known) to me please. Perhaps I can find a little more info on them (using my daughters computer that is).

Should keep me busy for a while during my off-line time and I have a coal loader doohickey to make for the WP&Y project plus an unusual lift bridge to finish.

Ben