Hello folks!! I have a puzzle for you. As many of you know, I am an archaeologist. As such, every now and again I get to deal with some historical railroad stuff . This was the case not too long ago in northern Wyoming. We came across the feature in the pictures below along a spur of the C.B. &Q. RR. near a large coal mine. The feature was just outside of where the tipple would have been. Now I think this thing is either an inspection pit, or there is a slight possibility that it is what remains of a car weight scale (track scale). Any help in positive id. would be great . Although a draft of the archaeological report has already gone out, I will reference whomever identifies the feature in the final archaeological report . Thanks and Happy Railroading!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!! [This message has been edited by JCater (edited 21 December 2000).]
John .. welcome to Trainboard.com My impression from your photographs is this feature is probably an outdoor inspection pit. I lean in this direction because of the access from the side. I can't remember ever seeing a scale with access other than thru a 'trap door.' Merry Christmas! ------------------ Bill (#16) "Get Goosed on the Yreka Western" [This message has been edited by Ironhorseman (edited 21 December 2000).]
I don't know but it's certainly interesting to think that there was once a bustle of activity there and now it looks like that. Charlie ------------------ Ship It On The FRISCO! | IAMOKA.com
Don't tell Watash, but I think it is an empty grave from a steam locomotive Chessie ------------------ Harold Hodnett Fan of NS, CSX, and their predecessors! Coming soon: The North Carolina Railfan Web Site http://www.trainweb.org/ncrail/
You are all wet! That's a "scratchin' pit". When the old girl came in off a run, we had to quick run down under and scratch her "itch" from that tight corrset! See? It is safety inspection pit. Before loading a car, it had to be signed off. Any missing parts, or repairs needed were bad ordered and the car was fixed. It would cost too much to send a faulty load out and lose it and a car too, and possibly cause the train to go on the ground! So you are all right after all. Inspection pits, were common, and sometimes there were others around depending on how heavy the traffic. Weight scale pits were built much heavier, and had a wider side pit where the Weight Master's shed was. There were usually a set of steps inside the shed that allowed access to the cross arms and counter weights under the track. The sump pump was usually in the lowest corner to remove rain water. ------------------ Watash #982
Thanks for all of the quick replies!! So they were inspecting the cars, not the engines?? Haooy Railroading!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
well, when the flying saucers landed back at the turn of the centry, thay had to work on their space ships some where didn't they? ------------------ espee2 Railroading in Southern Oregon www.tunnel13.com layout: SP's Newberg Branch in N scale
JCater, a sure way of determining a site use, is the same whether it is a camp site, or a pit. If you find parts and pieces of RR car brakes's rigging, hoses, gaskets etc. and foot prints, it usually means some human dropped the artifacts in that area for some reason. The supports for the rails on the site you have photos of, would not have supported a loaded car, nor an engine, ergo, an empty car. There is not the kind of space in that pit that was required for the scales that were normally used. Therefore; an inspection pit. There were some practices where an empty car was first weighed, then loaded, then weighed again to determine the weight of the load. Remember that an empty coal car weighes around 100,000 pounds (50 tons) empty. Fully loaded, it can present around 100 to 175 tons on the rails, about the same as some engines used to work the mine areas. By digging down to the floor of the pit, you can find either indentations for oak beams, or sometimes iron "I" beams that have been cut off, or the remains of cement pedestals. the spacing can tell you if this pit is for narrow gauge, or standard gauge. The foot prints you make plaster casts of, can tell you if it is a man's shoe, or a woman's shoe. When you find strange looking still shiny metal parts that are very light weight, and three toed foot prints around, it really doesn't matter whether they are male or female, just take a sharp left turn and head for the house! You got company you don't want to meet! ------------------ Watash #982
