JACK'S CABIN, COLORADO
Jack's Cabin was a mere siding along an old stage stop and farmhouse, known as Jack's Cabin.
History of the Water Tank
Contrary to what is widely written in the literature, the Jack's Cabin water tank,
distinctive because of it's smaller diameter and appearance (differing from the standard D&RGW tank),
was not moved from Villa Grove and relocated to Jack's Cabin. Instead, according to engineering reports
accessed by Harold Zimbelman at the Colorado Railroad Museum, the tank was constructed on site. The following are
excerpts:
Present 50,000 gal. wood water tank was built in 1894. The staves and chimes are decayed and the substructure is
also in need of repair if it is to be retained in service. The estimated cost of repairs necessary for the tank to
remain in service is $2700.00. The tank serves trains gonig into Crested Butte, Colorado and for coal from the
CF&I mine.
Replace the 50,000 gal. wood water tank with a 9600 gal. redwood tank costing $3486.00. The smaller diameter tank
was determined to be adequate for the existing needs of the trains running from Gunnison, Colorado to Crested
Butte, Colorado.
Approval for the tank was granted 17 June 1949. Also considered as a replacement for the 50,000 gal. water tank was
a 15,000 gal. second hand tender from #1603, one of the 3 cylinder Baldwin M75 Heavy Mountains, which was dismantled
in April 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The tender was stored in Salida, CO., on three rail track west of the Salida
freight depot. On 20 June, 1949, it was unloaded from D&RGW Flat No. 22072 to be stored for use next year at Tank 7.
On July 31, 1951, it was recommended that the tender be scrapped if there were no objections from the Mechanical
Department. The Mechanical Department approved the scrapping of #1603's tender on August 7, 1951.
STATION
Elev. (ft) |
STATION
No. |
Miles
from
Denver |
Telegraph
Calls |
DIVISION |
DISTRICT
or BRANCH |
Mainline
Prototype/
Modeled |
Sidings
Prototype/
Modeled |
|
Jack's Cabin
8,309 |
S305 |
304.72 |
JC |
THIRD |
CRESTED BUTTE
(GUNNISON - CRESTED BUTTE) |
TBD/
NG: 10' |
TBD/
None |
FACILITIES:
- Water Tank: 50,000 gallon to 1949, 9600 gallon 1949+
- Stockyard: 5 NG Stock, 2 NG Sheep
- Telegraphone: Box
MODELING:
- Even though the layout's era is modeled pre-1949 (by twenty years), we took artistic license to use the
later 9600 gallon tank. Besides, we had plenty of 50,000 gal. tanks and it is too neat not to include.
- The water tank was scratchbuilt by Hal Zimbelman per the D&RGW engineering drawings.
- The tracks are placed around the top of the helix, so are along a curve rather than the prototype long tangent.
 |
 |
Hal's scratchbuilt tank.
Credit: HalZ, July 2006 |
SOURCES:
- D&RGW Engineering Reports, Colorado Railroad Museum, 2005.
- Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society
- Official Roster No.11 of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad System and the Rio Grande Southern
Railroad Company, 1923, Colorado Railroad Museum.
