I know the town of Winter Park was founded on August 1, 1978... :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin:
Winter Park was known as such in the D&RGW 1944 timetable... I could find no reference to this in my library.
1978? My 1945 D&SL train order shows as Winter Park. Differences between the RR and civilians? Boxcab E50
Winter Park History Winter Park began as two small settlements, Old Town and Hideaway Park. Old Town came into existence because of the construction taking place on the Moffat Tunnel. Hideaway Park was a village that began in 1932 and quickly developed into the fourth town in the valley. Hideaway Park was developed and built by L.O. "Doc" Graves, a merchant in the valley since 1922. Doc began by building 26 tourist cabins and a cafe and service station called "Doc's Place." He also installed a water wheel on Vasquez Creek to generate all the electricity necessary to operate his business. The village grew rapidly, considering that the entire country was in the depth of a serious depression at that time. The construction of a water tunnel parallel to the existing Moffatt railroad tunnel had a positive effect on the local economy. Over a stretch of two years, the village added three more businesses — a saloon, a garage, and a nightclub — and nearly doubled in population. On August 1, 1978 the town was founded and became Winter Park. In 1980 Winter Park grew again incorporating the West Portal Village. The West Portal Village became the home of the Mary Jane Base and various other buildings at the resort such as the Iron Horse Resort. Most recently, the ghost town of Arrow, at the western base of Rollins Pass, was annexed into the town; this marked the beginning of the massive Arrowhead development.
Got me then. When I was there last year, I read that on a sign, if I remember correctly, at the skateboard park, right across from the McD's, that the town was originally named Hideaway park. Wikipedia said the same thing, as what Darren posted. But who knows for sure? =) -Mike
The D&H often called a town by something else and it would later be officially know by that name. This could also be true in this case... :tb-wacky: :tb-wacky: :tb-wacky: :tb-wacky:
Welcome to the Crown of the Mountain, or Corona! J.B.Culbertson, the Moffat Road's first, and last Chief Dispatcher so-named the summit of the nation's highest and most brutal standard-gauge line, Rollins Pass. At 11,660 feet, winter comes early, and stays late. Snow can fall at any day of the year at this extreme altitude! Snowdrifts completely enveloped the tiny railroad outpost on top of the world from September to July. There's 2 seasons at Corona--winter & August! At one time, there used to be over 11,000+ feet of snowsheds on Rollins Pass, and of that, 3600+ feet were at Corona alone. Winter is seemingly eternal here, and temps of -50 were not uncommon. Combined with winds as high as 105 MPH (until the wind blew the weather station off the mountain in one bad storm), snow drifted seriously in mere minutes. The trench the railroad cut thru the snowcap would fill in with drifting snow, and trains would stall going down the 4% grade. The snowsheds became tunnels of snow, for snow would blow in the tiniest crack, nailhole, etc at unreal rates. If one was unfortunate enough to be caught in the snow trench, the 10-18' high walls would be too much to jump, and many people would either be killed in the meat grinder blades of the rotaries, or crushed under the 55" drivers of the Mallets. Danger was constant on Rollins. Snowshed gas for as many as a dozen steam locos sitting in the sheds would accumulate faster than the ventilators on the roof could evacuate the deadly gas. Many times, the snow at Corona would be above the snowshed ventilators! At any rate, the snowsheds on Rollins were dreaded, and claimed the lives of many railroaders. The snowsheds are next! Well, the remains thereof... Snow in July? Only at Corona: The west end of the shed, bulldozed many years ago: The sign at the top:
The railroad attempted to burn thes sheds down, as they were too large to remove. Efforts to burn them failed, as they seemed to be impervious to fire! The roofs were removed, so the 10-15' of snow could melt. The forest service eventually bulldozed them. Next up, Devil's Slide! See you tomorrow!
This IS NEATO!!!!!!! There is a guy here in town and he says that he used to go on this when he was a kid and I think he went in the 80's when it was re opened I'm not sure, but I have always wanted to see this!!! This is extremely great since I have a broken foot!!!:tb-sad::tb-mad::thumbs_down: And I don't have the travel funds with a broken foot-no insurance, and other bills going on.
Let's look east of Corona, high on the mountain side, and view these well-preserved telegraph poles: I am bypassing some areas on the pass, such as Sunnyside, Ptarmigan Point, Pump House Lake, and much of the lower elevation stuff. As if 10000 feet is low elevation! Devil's Slide is our next stop. East of Corona is a pair of twin short restles, laid on an impossibly steep rock face. The Rollins Pass line was seemingly laid on the side of the mountain from Tolland all the way to the summit, and Devil's Slide is no exception. It was said it would be a devil of a slide if one fell off.... And the name stuck!
Looking east from Corona, we see the steep mountain face that descends 1000 feet to Middle Boulder Valley: Closer to the east is a little wood trestle:
If you look back toward Corona, yousee the steep drop to the vally floor: Another view on the second trestle: The most famous view is the easternmost of the Devil's Slide trestles. Anyone remember seeing shots like this?
All I can say is...next time invite me k????? I love these photos. THIS is why I model stuff in my home state. There is something mystical about a trestle bridge clinging tentatively to the side of a precipitous drop...
