Critters

Ok then.......plenty of other intersting threads on various things, I thought I'd try to get one going on
critters. Such as this:

Trackmobile switching cars at the Kopper Tie Plant in Denver, Co.



Approaching street crossing, 2 cars in tow.

 

Great photos...Trackmobiles are neat critters.

NASA bought one of their lightest ones back in the 60's to move helium cars around the Mississippi Test Facility. I got to drive it one weekend when nobody important was working, except its regular driver who was with me.

What I didn't realize was that the weight on the rear driving wheels was supplied by the car it was coupled to. When the car was coupled, the coupler was jacked up, lifting the car off its front truck slightly and transferring the weight to the Trackmobile.

I was happily tooling down the track at about 5 mph when I put on the brakes. I found out real quick that you don't stomp on the brake pedal without a car being coupled behind. We were upended with the nose of the TM touching the rails. We only went over slightly, but it sure felt like we had gone upside down. The TM righted itself the instant it came to a stop, and fortunately back onto the rails.

But, Oh Man was it ever FUN!!!

 

I believe it was dual gauge at one time. I had also noticed a dual gauge switch sitting there one day. Was marked CRRM - Donated to the Colorado RailRoad Museum!! I'd like to get some background information of the facility some day.
Along with a brief tour, again, IF possible.

I've got a railroad club meeting today, so I'll se if I can head back to Koppers for a few more photos this afternoon. If I can, I'll post them tonight.Keep watching this space!

 

Koppers? Do they just do ties or is it a chemical company?

 

I believe they are a creosote facility, doing ties, telephone poles, and other wood related treatments.

Give me some time to modify and upload a few more photos taken today. Showing what is left of the dual gauge track. Only rail that's left is the stuff crossing the street and not much more.

I'm thinking of sending them a letter, to see if I could get other photos, on the property, and maybe more background information, for a possible magazine article. And also hoping that maybe they have photos from years gone by, showing some of the prior operations, equipment etc.......

 

I only wish that the steel scrap facility at I-25 and the Erie exit was still around. They had, from what I could see, on RARE occasion, an extremely ratty looking 4 wheel Plymouth switcher, used for shoving scrap gons around.
Was all leveled when I-25 construction began.

 

Does this count?

 

Chemical plant in South Dallas:

 

Dacotah Cement transfer plant in Denver.

Which of course raises the question: is Denver Trackmobile heaven?

 

Here's a promised shot from Koppers in Denver, showing the dual gauge track, still in p[lace in street crossings. Not much else remains. Look close enough, you can see the dual gauge track in the background crossings yet as well.

 

SRR's little Plymouth:



Russ

 

I think that this one is on the big end of the "critter" scale, CMRR's Davenport:



Russ

 

The Koppers narrow gauge was 36". And what little remains, still is.

 

They are a seasonal tourist railroad up in the Catskills here in NY. They run over former D&H trackage near Esopus Creek and the Ashokan reservoir. They do indeed have a web presence: CATSKILL MOUNTAIN RR

They are also (in addition to the Empire State RR museum) in the process of restoring a steamer.

Happy railroading!

Russ