7th Street Shops - (Revised Post 35 B) Romley, Colorado; Mary Murphy - Post 37

There were 3 mills built side by side at Romley,  - except that only one existed at a time. The last mill, after the 1908 fire stood in the immediate foreground. The 2nd stood  just behind the small trees and bush in the background. The first was built in 1882 and was beyond the tall pines out of view. 1987 - Poole photo. 

Tram station above Tram House, Romley, 1987 - Poole

Over time, the Mary Murphy lode was very productive, as evident by the expanding facilities at the property. The primary adit of level 4 was less than a mile up Pomeroy Gulch and roughly 300' below the Mary Murphy adit. According to the general narrative, this tunnel opened in 1883 as that was when the first tramway to Morley was constructed. The tram was a single, continuous cable, suspended by 50 towers over a distance of almost 5000 feet. (It is difficult to verify this distance on modern aerial maps). The towers were between 50 and 100 feet apart. There were 96, buckets on the cable; each with 200lb capacity. The buckets were self loading and unloading. A single operator at each end had a brake to stop the circuit when required. A full cycle of the circuit took 40 minutes (about 144 buckets an hour). Over a 24 hour period the tram could transfer 128 tons. With half of the buckets loaded at all times there was always ten tons of gravitational force to move the circuit. 

In 1910, the mining company paid each tram operator 20 cents per loaded coal car . If the tram ran 24 hours continuously, it could fill a little more than 5, 25ton capacity cars.  Since 1897 the C&S had  been modernized its coal car fleet with over 500 new 50,000lbs capacity units. There were very few of the older 10 to 20 ton cars left.

At Mile Post 155.6 (Post 32) there is still a terminal tram house above the foundation of the second mill. When the first mill burned down in the early 1890s, it isn't clear if the tramway terminated within the mill itself. The mill had stood very near the railroad's iron truss bridge. It is possible the tram house pictured here is the original building, however, it seems more likely that this was a later construction.

There were at least 2 tramways out of Pomroy Gulch to Romley (detectable in aerial photos). In addition to the tram from Level 4, there was also a later tram that connected either Level 8 or Level 9 to Romley. Level 9 in particularly, was important to the West and East Pat Lodes because they were accessed only from that level within the mine complex. The Tram in question was probably built much later after the second mill burned down. 

Settling ponds were reinforced with timbers - Poole

Tram House from Col. Kelley's road above Romley, 1987 - Poole.

Not all ores were the same. The high value metals taken from Chrysolite were gold and silver with copper, lead and zinc in more abundance. The Iron ore was the most abundant. The complex at Romley, clearly reflected the way different ores were sorted and handled. High value ore, the gold and silver, were passed to the stamp mill where they were pulverized, concentrated and in the case of gold, amalgamated. The concentrations were dried in settling ponds (located below the railroad grade and above the town of Romley).

Less valuable ore (iron, lead, zinc, etc.) were loaded into open top cars. This ore, stored in bins was sent down a wooden chutes to a waiting coal cars. Photos disclose chutes existed at a couple of locations above the railroad sidings. 

The railroad grade at Romley was 4%. Empty cars were spotted on the siding above the chute and eased under the chute with the aid of gravity. As each car was filled it was drifted down the 

siding to await pick up by the proper train. This meant there was often strings of loaded coal cars sitting on the Pomeroy bridge. It was most likely that this operation was the primary reason for the additional trestle next to the Iron truss bridge. The framed trestle was installed in the early 1890s (bridge 1178 -1/2 see part xx).

It appears that a tram was also installed in the early to mid 1890s from the Pat Murphy which opened on the east side of Chrysolite Mt. to the rails above what would become the location of the Golf Mill. This tram terminated at a tram ore bin at that location. This was at about M.P. 154.7; not quite a mile below Romley. There was probably a rail siding at this ore bin as well.

By the turn of the century, there were several levels (arterial drifts) within the mines. Tunnels were drifts started on the side of the hill and bore into the rock in hopes of striking the lode. Ore was usually transported from the tunnels to loading or milling facilities by tramways.  

In 1904 the MMMC sold the entire property to an English syndicate. The new owners, headquartered in London, formed the Golf Mining Company,  The sale included both the Mary and Pat Murphy mines, all of the property at Romley (that included the townsite) and the property near the 50,000 gal. Lady Murphy water tower that was 3/4 of a mile below M.P. 155.6). 

 Among the first improvements, the GMC replaced of the 2nd mill at Romley after the 1908 fire. In 1911 George Colling (apparently the manager of the GMC?) began construction of the 200 ton capacity Golf Mill. This was the 100 stamp concentrator located  between the tram house loading bin and Lady Murphy tank.  The complex was below the railroad grade on the south side of Chalk Creek. The complex included the mill, a large power house and settling tanks along the creek. The operation used a new process that could make lower density ore pay and many of the existing tailings were reprocessed at both the Golf and Romley mills.

Crop from  photo above; structure is sheathed with brick-pattern embossed metal, painted red. Metal  sheathing helped protect structures from fire. Note also; the location is private property, 1987 - Poole

Level 14 Tunnel, Pomeroy Creek, above Romley, 1983 - Poole

 

In 1914 they were processing ore at 0.28 oz of gold per ton. For perspective, it took 10 tram buckets to equal a ton of ore; therefore it required 36, 200lb capacity buckets to convey 1 oz of gold. Of course, the Golf operation had multiple sources of ore and of course, they produced far more than just gold.

The 100 stamp complex was the location of the famous Golf Tunnel. The tunnel was over a mile in length and 800 feet below the older works on Chrysolite. 

In the early 1900s the Leadville mines were converting their tunnels from animal power to electric power and undoubtedly the Murphy complex was doing the same. Two 2 parallel tracks were put down in the Golf Tunnel to convey the ore by electric locomotion. 

In addition to the Golf Tunnel, more aerial tramways were strung from both the Pat and Mary mines. The Mary tram was started at the Level 4. It came across the north west shoulder of Chrysolite Mt. in a straight line to the Golf mill. The second Pat tramway paralleled the first tram; except that it continued across the railroad and terminated inside the Golf mill.  

To accommodate Golf, the railroad installed more than a half mile of track on the spur to the mill. The switch for this spur was located a mile and a quarter down the main grade from the Romley depot. The spur itself was nearly 1900 feet long and sidings were constructed on both the south and north sides of the complex. Coal and other supplies were spotted on the upper (south) siding while out going production went from the lower (north) siding.

Around 1919, the boiler for the power plant at Romley developed a crack in the crown sheet. This effective ended  ended operation at Romley and the company simply shunted the ore to the Golf mill. By this time the mining operations were re-running old tailings and operations across the State were in decline. The new process was likely more profitable than employing hard rock mining crews. The trams from level 4 and level 14 were probably used primarily for moving the mountains of tailings from those locations to the Golf mill.

Boarding house near Level 4 bunked 60 men, 1983 - Pool

Coal for the power plants at both mills came over Marshall Pass by way of the D.&R.G.R.R. from Baldwin north of Gunnison over Marshall Pass. Rio Grande coal cars are seen in a photo on the upper siding of the mill. Apparently, it was cheaper for the C&S to pay the per diam on the cars for the short distance from Nathrop than than to transfer the loads to their own cars.

Mining in Colorado had been on a decline from about 1910 and as the United States entered WWI, mining was receding all across the State. It seems likely most, if not all of these improvements occurred before 1919. Yet the GMC operated at least parts of the property well into the 1920s.   

All Colorado & Southern narrow gauge traffic had to be transferred to or from the Rio Grande at Buena Vista or Nathrop in order to connection with the rest of the system. The Rio Grande operated three rail 

Pat Murphy tram and ore loading above  Golf mill, 1985 - Poole 

track between Leadville and Salida until 1925. When it was clear the Rio grande was pulling the third rail in 1924 the C&S abandoned Chalk Creek line and production at the GMC quickly declined. It closed before 1930. The mines had operated almost continuously for over 50 years. They had produced some $60 million dollars in metals (at $32 per oz of gold).

Ironically, the primary reason the Colorado & Southern continued to run a single mixed train up Chalk Creek 3 days a week, after the line was orphaned in 1910, was to the service GMC operation. On the other hand, it was probably the abandonment of the railroad that hastened the end of the mine's orations altogether. 

Over the decades since, the mines have occasionally been leased, especially when metal prices (gold in particular) fluctuated favorably. Ore from the Mary Murphy Level 4 tunnel and tailings was hauled out by truck. The trucks used Col. Kelley's wagon road down Pomeroy gulch to Romley where they crossed over the old Pratt truss on the railroad grade now a state highway; at least until the State deemed the bridge unsafe for even ordinary vehicle traffic.

Turning from the Pat Murphy ore and tram at the railroad  the view looked like this, about.1918. The switch on the main line was nearly 1/3rd of a mile to the right (East) of  the camera.  Coal cars were spotted in front of the power plant on the upper (South) side. The cars in this view belonged to the Denver & Rio Grande, mid 'teens - Poole Col.

Settling pond below R.O.W.and first mill still evident in 1942. Weis - Poole Col.

With the exception of many tram towers that may still stand and the ruins of many other structures over the ares there isn't much left of what was once one of the largest mining districts outside of Leadville. Even the railroad grade is becoming less recognizable as the State improves the road by grading and realigning. Yet Mary Murphy is still the iconic soul of the Chalk Creek district.

7th Street Shops - (Revised Post 35 A) Romley, Colorado; Mary Murphy - Post 36

Crop from the photo, Post 32. This tipple appears to be at the upper end of the tramway built from level 4 to the eastern end of the works at Morley (Romley) in 1883. The elevation at the tipple appears to be generally 11,800' Above Sea Level  (ASL). The Mary Murphy mine head was over the ridge to the left and about 400 ' higher. The photo was taken from a quarter of a mile away, near the level 14 tunnel. 1983 - Poole Photo

The primary ridge of Chrysolite Mountain runs about 25 degrees to the north east from the peak.(12,831 ASL, Google Earth). A secondary ridge slopes away from the peak approximately 50 degrees to the north west. Below this ridge is a small, poorly defined cirque and 100 feet below are the remains of the Mary Murphy mine head. Tailing from the mine's initial adit (Tunnel 100) sprawl down the slope on the east side of the structure. The elevation at the mine head is about 12,230 feet ASL The distance from the peak to the mine is approx 2,125 feet.

There were many mines, numerous veins and dozens of claims within the Mary Murphy complex. Of course, it didn't start as a complex. The original "Mary Murphy Claim" was 300 feet wide and 1500 feet long. It extended from the south western face of Chrysolite, went over the ridge above the mine and northerly toward Chalk Creek. Among the oldest claims were the Old Discovery, the Mary Murphy, the Livingstone, the Mollie, and the Iron Chest. The mines included the Mary Murphy, the Iron Chest (Pat Murphy?) and the Raras Warrior. The primary Veins included the Mary Murphy, three Pat Murphys (Pat, West Pat and East Pat) as well as the Jim Crow Lode and the Western; there were many more. All of the veins in Chrysolite were intrusive deposits of Pyretic Quartz. The vein gangue is a vuggie quartz and all of this is part of the Mount Princeton Batholith, a formation of quartz monzonite (granite) from the Cenozoic Era. 

a.Peak Chrysolite Mt. (12,831' ASL); b. Romley; c. Mary Murphy mine-head (12,225' ASL); d. Level 14 Tunnel (11000' ASL?); e, likely Level 4 Tunnel (11,830' ASL) with tramway to Romley clearing visible. USGS Ariel Photo 1975 - Poole Collection

The main tunnels of the complex were at the 400',700', 900' and1400' levels. There were many secondary tunnels and adits to the main tunnels. There were numerous sub-levels, drifts, raises (shafts between levels) and ore chutes. Many of the veins were accessed only from within the interior network.  Below all of this, the Golf Tunnel connected to Tunnel (Level) 14 by a shaft of  800 feet. The Golf Tunnel was built in 1911 at 2200 feet below the benchmark ridge above the Mary's mine head. The Golf Tunnel was 5800* feet in length from the entrance at the Golf Mill to the Mary Murphy Lode and its connection to the 14th Level. The Tunnel was wide enough for two parallel narrow tracks of perhaps 2 foot gauge or less. The ore trains were electrified.

Within the treasure trove that is Chrysolite Mountain, the Mary Murphy Lode was the crowning jewel of the entire complex. The eastern edge of the Mary Murphy Claim (bottom of this map) ran along a secondary ridge of  the mountain. The 3 Pat Murphy veins (or lodes) were just east of the Mary.  The map of the Tunnel system only shows those tunnels below the 800 level. From Plate 13, Geological Survey Professional Paper 289, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1957

[*This length of 5800 feet, is difficult to prove on modern satellite imaging. Measured as a straight line it is 4800 feet from the Golf Mill to the Mary Murphy mine head; an interesting figure! The Tunnel enters the westerly boundary of the Mary Murphy Claim 100' south of the Claim's northern most corner. It continues on this straight course into the claim at an angle, for another 300(+) feet. Then it angles to the right about 100 degrees. Within this course the Tunnel wanders another 800 or so feet until it reached the raise to Level 14(1400). This may account for the "lost" 1000 feet given in the Report.] 

In the Chalk Creek district, the Mary Murphy was legendary. When its prime production period came to an end in the 1920s, it may have produced as much as $60 million in metals. The recorded amount was $14 million but in a day when $100 was a fortune to most Americans (when you could buy an ounce of gold for $32) either figure is unfathomable. However, each figure may be correct within context. If the lesser amount was in terms of profit, a LOT of money was invested into the property over the years. During the earlier development period (1880s and '90s?) the Mary Murphy Mining Company was actively purchasing mines and claims; not to mention digging tunnels and aggressively building and improving processing facilities. The $60 million may be correct in terms of gross production.

Who discovered the mine and when? And why was it named "Mary Murphy"? The story, as published by the Denver Post (11 Dec. 1913), is that the man who discovered the mine named it after a nurse who had brought him back to health during an illness. In gratitude, he named the mine for her. How romantic! It is generally accepted that John Royal discovered the mine in 1875. Yet, while there is plenty of narrative about Royal, who reportedly did a lot of "narrative" himself, there seems no mention of any woman nor explanation of the naming of the mine associated with him. Notwithstanding, legends often do possess a basis of truth. 

There are other stories that may hold more credence; between the mid 1980s and early 2000s, I visited the Colorado Historical Society (CHS) many times (Western History Department of the Denver Public Library). I accumulated an abundance of notes by good old fashion pencil on paper. (The curator was always reluctant to expose the old documents to "modern" copying technology.) In reviewing those notes, I was reminded of an account from the 1870's by an unnamed man who claimed to have discovered the Mary Murphy in 1870. He later took on partners willing to invest in the mine. For whatever reason he was absent for a period of time and when he returned they had usurped his ownership and shut him out of the property. This first person account was quite bitter  

Found with this account in the CHS file box, there was a copy of the comprehensive book, "The Charisma of Chalk Creek" by Stella H. Bailey, (1985). Within this limited edition volume was a report that is described as a common understanding of the locals of Chalk Creek. The author was told by Harry Bender (page 89) that the Mary Murphy was discovered in 1870 by a married couple named Murphy. The wife was named Mary. They worked the mine with a horse and a scoop shovel. The man named the mine after his wife. (One wonders if his name might have been "Pat"?)

None of these stories particularly exclude any of the others nor the essence of the romanticism. By conjecture only, Mary the wife, could have also been Mary the nurse; whether she was both when she nursed the man back to health or not. Moreover, the date of the Murphy discovery appears to coincides with Geological Survey Professional Paper 289, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1957, which found that the mine had operated continuously since 1870. 

An unfortunately poor exposure of the structures at the Level 14 Tunnel. (Perhaps a future Post will discuss the various cameras I have used over the years) 1983 - Poole Photo

John Royal and Dr. Abner Wright came into possession of the mine in 1875. Did they discover the mine? Did they rediscover it? Did they buy it? Did they assume it was abandoned and took it? Dr.Wright in particular, seemed of an honorable character; being educated, a Civil War Veteran and something of a local politician. John Royal was a bit less esteemed. Royal and Wright sold the mine to Chapman and Riggins. They were prominent figures of the town of Alpine, 6 1/2 miles down the valley from what would become Romley. In 1880, Chapman and Riggins sold the Mary Murphy to a St. Louis firm for $100,000. The new owners formed the Mary Murphy Mining Company (MMMC) with headquarters in St. Louis, MO. The principles of the company were; president James H. Morley; V.P. William P. Donaldson; Secretary / Treasurer J. H. Billings; General Manager Col. John H. Kelley; and Engineer F. T. Werlitz (of St. Elmo).

It was the MMMC that expanded the complex; by gathering up many of the independent mines in Pomeroy Gulch, digging nearly all of the tunnel down to level 14 (inclusive) and building most of the improvements at and to Romley.

7th Street Shops - Romley, Colorado; Mary Murphy & The Bridge - Post 35

 

Please Note; This post is revised and superseded by Post 36 & Post 37

C&S loco 67, 1921 Recovery, MP 155.6. Col. Kelley's road crossing - Poole Col

As early as 1870 the Mary Murphy Mine was discovered near the top of Chrysolite Mt. about a mile east of  the future site of Romley. In days gone by the name, Mary Murphy, was legendary; it was the largest producer in the Chalk Creek basin. Gold wasn't the only mineral that it yielded (silver, iron, zinc, lead and others). Through the coarse of its history more than $60 million in metals (at $32oz gold) were take from the lode. Even after the railroad was abandoned, the mines (Mary and Pat) were worked and the ores were hauled out by truck.

According to the legend, the original prospector honored a woman who had showed him great kindness by naming his discovery after her. The story varies; she was a nurse who cared for him, Perhaps she was a lost love, or his wife? I had opportunity to read parts of a diary by one Harry Bender who explained bitterly how his partners had swindled him out of the mine. But there wasn't any explanation about how the mine was named.  

John Royal and Dr. Abner Wright came into possession of the mine in 1875 and there seems some suggestion that they had a third the partner; perhaps Harry Bender? Evidently, Dr. Wright sold his interests to Royal for $75,000. Royal then partnered with Chapman and Riggins and together they started the Kansas City Smelter a few miles below St. Elmo near Alpine. This smelter did not do well perhaps because they did not have the proper flux. In 1880, Royal (and partners?) then sold that property to a St. Louis firm for $300k and Royal also sold the Mary Murphy to the same organization for another $80,000. The buyers formed the Mary Murphy Mining Company (MMMC) with headquarters in St. Louis, MO. The principles of the company were; president James H. Morley; V.P. William P. Donaldson; Secretary - Treasurer J.H. Billings; General Manager Col. John H. Kelley; and Engineer F.T. Werlitz (of St. Elmo).

When the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railway (South Park) reached the north shoulder of Pomeroy Mt.(el.13,164') in late spring 1881 there was already evidence of  improvement to that MMMC property located there. Col. Kelley built a 2.5 mile wagon road from the mine to St. Elmo in 1880. The road dropped down Pomery Gulch to a point where it was forced to leave the water way above the railroad's right-of-way. It then traverse to a point where it crossed the railroad's r.o.w about a 10th of a mile up grade from the gulch. It continued more or less westerly down the shoulder of Pomeroy Mt. to the bottom of the valley. There it doubled back toward St.Elmo. When it was built through a year later, the railroad crossed the MMMC road at their own Mile Post 155.6. Naturally, they named the crossing "Murphy" and when they installed the spur they renamed it "Murphy Switch".

Cropping of 1880 survey of main line alignment - Poole Col.

A copy of  the survey for the mainline over Pomeroy Gulch and through Murphy (Section 13, Township 51 North, Range 5 West) is provided in Post 32. A cropped portion of the map is reproduced here. Though no date is found on the map it would have been generated before 1881 as the grading crews were well ahead of the track construction that reached St. Elmo in December 1880. The map clearly called for an "80' Iron Truss" bridge to cross Pomeroy Gulch. The survey also identifies the location as "Murphy" and the crossing of Col. Kelley's road to St.Elmo. Therefore it was generated during the later part of 1880.

Ariel photo of Romley approx. 1980 - Poole Col.

Pomeroy Creek flows between Pomeroy and Chrysolite Mt. (el. 12,608') north to Chalk Creek. Where the railroad  crossed Pomeroy Creek the gulch was 28' deep. Indeed, the railroad installed a single span Iron (deck) Truss bridge that  measured 82' long and 20' wide by a friend in the 1980s. It was set upon stone abutments.

Despite this period being the height of its construction period, in 1880 the D.S.P. & P. was at its most profitable ever. At the end of the year, the road was sold to the Union Pacific Railroad. The U.P. had a propensity to gobbling up little railroads like a menagerie. The South Park's prosperity promptly plummeted; partly because the new owner raised the traffic rates to levels that caused shippers to turn to the railroad's competitors. However, in the years that followed, the U.P. did consolidate a lot of the railroad's early records; much of it to our benefit today..

The U.P. published small, hard bound "Bridges, Buildings and other Structures" volumes that listed the assets of the entire system. The first D.S.P.& P. volume was issued on 1 January, 1886. This was only six months after they had published a system wide renumbering of the railroad's rolling stock. 

In "B. B. & S." 1886, former bridge no. 14 was reassigned no. 1178. It was located at Pomeroy Gulch at M.P. 155.5. It was described as; "Iron Truss, single span, 82.25 feet long and 28 feet high" (to the center of the deck). Unfortunately "B. B. & S." 1886 provided no dates for when any of the structures were built; except for occasional, after-the-fact, hand written entries of which 1178 had no such entry. 

Crop of  T.O.C. era photo (before 1908) of the 2-track bridge with trestle in place - Poole Col.

In the following edition, "B. B. & S." 1894 described; "1178, Pomeroy Gulch, 28 feet high, single span, 82 feet, Pratt Iron Truss on stone abutments, installed 1882, at M.P. 155.5"!  The differences  between the two  "B. B. & S" entries for the same bridge, appear to be in some conflict. The 1886 volume is more in line with the 1880 survey map. There certainly would have been a bridge across Pomeroy in order for the railroad to arrive in Hancock by July 1881. So; was it the same bridge recorded in 1894?

If "B. B. & S." 1894 is correct then perhaps the Pratt Iron Truss was not the first bridge across the gulch. Did this "Pratt" bridge replace an Iron Truss initially installed in 1881 to carry the operation toward the Tunnel? The survey engineer did not specify that the 80' Iron Truss was to be a Pratt product nor does the "B. B. & S." 1886 volume indicate that this - or any Iron Truss on the railroad (and there were several) were of Pratt origin. 

Post Trestle, S E. bank view, Pomeroy Bridge - Haer (DPL-WHD)

The argument that a bridge as substantial as an iron truss was so readily replaced seems very thin. Why would the railroad replace such a bridge less than 2 years old? Of course, it could have happened; bridges and other structures were occasionally moved or replaced. Furthermore, if suddenly identifying a particular bridge by an additional descriptor - Pratt in this case - was indicative of a replacement then the railroad replaced a lot of Iron Truss bridges with Pratts during that 12 year period. The "B. B. & S." 1894 identified the earliest Pratt Iron Truss in 1878 as no. 1056 at Buffalo. According to the 1894 volume there were even others Pratts in use prior to 1882. Clearly this is not an issue that can be settled with certainty, but it seems probable that the date provided for 1178 in the 1894 volume is incorrect. There are several instances that seem incongruent in this same manner.between the two volumes. 

Old Trestle still evident, 1952 (1952 Olds 88) - Neal Miller, Poole Col..

A second bridge was added (hand written) along side the Pomeroy Pratt in "B. B. & S." 1894 volume. It was designated no.1178 1/2. This was a framed wooden trestle with (6) 16 foot spans. for a total length of 96 feet. The deck of this bridge was 25 feet above the creek and indeed the trestle was against the upstream side of the Pratt. There is no notation of the abutment type but photos of the bridges suggest they were also wooden. Nor was a date given for this second bridge but hand written notations in the 1894 volume seem to have begun in 1896. (This was well into the 12 Dec.1893 receivership of the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison Railway. The railroad had been reorganized in August 1889). The double bridge is seen in place in the overall photo of Romley (with a cropping presented here) that dated around the turn of the century.

By 1973 the trestle was gone - M.H.Ferrell, Poole Collection

The additional bridge facilitated a double track across the gap. While neither published volume include the second bridge in print, it is not unreasonable that the trestle was actually in place much earlier. The dual bridges could have been considered one bridge. Field studies and the few photos available of the location make it clear that  the location was regularly upgraded and reconfigured according to numerous events that occurred there. But,  without hard documentation, most of our conjectures will be little more than just that.

C&S loco 67, 1921 Recovery, MP 155.6. Col. Kelley's road crossing - Poole Col

 

7th Street Shops - Romley: An Historical Overview - Post 34

Boarding house & Station as seen from the P.O. after 1908. - Poole Col.

Romley was never a large town and in the summer of 1885, the population was only about 150 people. Of itself, the town probably didn't generate enough traffic to warrant more than a small depot. But it was encapsulated in the economics of the mining company. It isn't surprising then, that the railroad dis assemble the large depot at Hancock and brought down grade to Romley in 1887.

When the railroad arrived at Hancock in 1881, the town was already in the height of its boom. For all of the activity at Hancock the South Park built a large 16'x48' (Standard) depot. This structure had a larger platform.and a freight room over 13' x14'. But, as is wont of mountain town booms Hancock soon fizzled after 1885 and by 1887 there was very little activity in the area.. Even though there was sporadic activity from time to time the town never recovered.

2nd mill, boarding h'se, stables & depot (thru trees). 1900 - Poole Col.

The Mary Murphy Mining Company (MMMC) continued to prosper into the 1890s. The first stamp mill was erected in 1882 and the operation expanded into the '90s. However, by the turn of the century the first mill was gone; along with the structure that stood across the tracks above the tailing ponds. These structures were destroyed by fire. A new mill was constructed  next to and up grade of the old foundation. This mill would last until 1908.

Romley P.O. from the grade 1950s - Poole Col.

The large depot at Romley also remained until 1908. Then a report in the 18 July Golden Globe (Golden, CO) described; 

"Fire  caused by a locomotive spark  destroyed the little town of  Romley on the Colorado and Southern, twenty five miles west of Buena Vista, on the 7th causing a loss of $12,000. The Colorado and Southern depot, the Mary Murphy shafthouse and equipment, two residents and several smaller buildings were consumed," 

2nd Romley Depot survived the tracks by more than 50 years - Poole Col.

As the 20th century approached it would seem reports like this one became a systemic rhapsody of buildings built along the railroads. Fires were not uncommon but as locomotive technology implemented longer smoke boxes with straight stacks (that drafted better) the occasion of fires increased notably. The newly created Forestry Service became demanding of the railroads because forest fires were also on the rise. It turns out that a better drafting locomotive is more proficient at scattering live sparks. Without the greater volume of diamond type stacks, sparks were easily scattered abroad.

This became such a common occurrence that when new construction, such as the depot at Lyons, CO, was discussed, the railroad's documents assumed; "...when the depot burns down..." not if the depot burns down!

The C&S Ry wasted no time in replacing the Romley depot. The new structure was smaller (12'x23'). The platform - more of a covered porch - was perpendicular to the track. With an additional shed on the uphill end, the total length of the structure was just 38'. It was located exactly where the former depot had been.

The mill that was destroyed in 1908 was the replacement of the first mill built in 1882. That mill was destroyed by fire between mid 1890s and 1904. By that time, the property included both the Mary Murphy and Pat Murphy mines, Romley and all of the structures owned by the MMMC. This was sold to the Golf  Mining Company (GMC ) with headquartered in London, England in 1904. It was that company which which quickly built the last mill at Romley, The new mill was again built upgrade and next to the second mill. Foundations of the 3 structures, all in a row, were still evident as of 2006.

The Third Stamp Mill  in 1921 - Poole Col.

Original Stamp Mill still operating in 1890 - Poole Col.

The focus of the GMC quickly shifted one half mile down grade from Romley where they built the large 100 stamp Golf Mill. This location had first been called Murphy; where a small water tank was erected in the 1880s. The tank was moved before 1890 to just below St. Elmo. The Golf switch was installed very near the old tank location. About 1000 feet up grade from the Golf switch was the Lady Murphy tank (45K gal.). The complex from the Golf switch included several spurs both above and below the mill. Also, the company built tramways to connected multiple tunnels of both the Pat and Mary Murphy mines. The GMC also improved the tram from Mary Murphy's Level 4 to Romley.

By the late teens the GMC mines began to wither. WWI and economic ebbs began taking a toll on productivity. The railroad was also changing; in Oct.1910 the Alpine Tunnel closed because of a small cave-in, It was not particularly planned to be a permanent closure but at about the same time Trout Creek washed out the track from Newett to the Arkansas Valley. Except for the Denver & Rio Grande 3 rail track through Buena Vista to Leadville the Chalk Creek line had no connection to the rest of the C&S system. These factors, together with the changing fortunes of the mining industry, the railroad  sought and was granted authorization to abandon the line in 1923. In 1926 the rails into Chalk Creek were completely removed.

Related  "Rails & Flanges Regeared"  Posts;  8, 10 & 31-33

 

7th Street Shops - Romley: An Historical Overview - Post 33

 

The ghost town of Romley was still in good shape in the mid 20th Century - Poole Collection

On the gently sloped plateau below the railroad, trees were cleared and framed dwellings were constructed. The town was named Morley after the Mary Murphy Mining Company's president James H. Morley. There would be a school and a teachery and perhaps a third boarding house and there was probably some type of commissary. But, there isn't any indication of a church or saloons nor was there any formal law enforcement other than perhaps the mining company itself. It was a company town and as near as can be determined it was started in 1883 by the MMMC;.

Romley, about 1900. Note the tailing ponds in the mid ground - Poole Col.

Early in 1885, perhaps confident that an actual municipality had been establishment at the MMMC works, Robert Coleman applied for a post office on behalf of Morley. Coleman engaged Gus Helmer (who was once again the Postmaster at St. Elmo) as sponsor for this second attempt. An Application ("Location Paper") was issued to Coleman by Malcolm Hay, First Assistant to the Postmaster General, on 29 April. Robert J. Coleman was named as the Postmaster and it was Coleman who completed the form that was returned to Hay on 18 May. The document was sealed on 23 May, 1885 and with a Post Office, the town was recognized as an established municipality.

Large depot at Hancock 1885 - Poole Col.

Coleman identified the location on the Application as Morley. However, that name was rejected by the U.S.D.P.O. Morley would not be Morley. Instead,on the document, "Mor"ley  was partially struck out and the first three letters were transposed into "Rom"; thus Romley would be the name. The reason for this would have been that there was already a P.O. named Morley somewhere in the United States. Whether the town agreed with this change would not have mattered much; to this day, Mile Post 155.6 on the old Colorado & Southern Railroad grade is the location known as Romley. 

First 16'x42' Depot moved to Romley from Hancock 1887- Poole Col.

The railroad handled the mail traffic to and from Romley but in 1885 they had not yet installed a depot at that location. By 1882 the Ogden Eating House was built at MP 155.6 within the railroad right of way but, there is never any indication that Ogden actually belonged to the railroad. Whatever the arrangement, almost certainly there would have been an agreement between the railroad and Ogden that probably included limited depot duties. Whether Ogden survived to 1885 is not known.

The Post Office was established upon the approval of the application and when the actual structure was built it was conveniently located 50 feet below the depot. This was also at M.P. 155.6.  In terms of the mail service, Coleman ran his charge out of the mining office until the structure was built. Coleman was an employee of the mining company. 

Romley in the Summer of 1983 after the Forrest Service had knocked down the renaming buildings - Poole Photo

7th Street Shops - Romley; An Historical Overview - Post 32

 

Camera positioned over the D.S.P.& P.Ry. M.P. 155.6. (Romley, CO). Ogden Eating House and both depots to left. Spur tracks to ore bin and rear of 3nd mill to right.  1987 - Poole Photo

(Fig.1) R.R. r.o.w. & MMMC road at Murphy, 1881 - Poole Col.

It was 2.3 miles from St. Elmo to what would become Romley. Of course, there was no Romley in 1881; there was nothing except the road Col. John Kelly, (General Manager of the Mary Murphy Mining Company) built from the mine head to St. Elmo in 1880. The purpose of the road was to transport ore and supplies between the mine and the town and it was one of the first improvements to the property by the new owner.

The mine was discovered near the top of  Chrysolite Peak, perhaps as early as 1870. It with other industrial properties were purchased by a St. Louis company for $300k and the Mary Murphy Mining Company (MMMC) was formed to develop the property. The 2.5 mile road that Col. Kelly built started at the mine head, dropped down Pomeroy Gulch until the south bank became so precipitous that the road had to turn south and traverse to the valley floor. There it looped to the north and proceeded to the town. (fig. 1). When the D.S. P.& P. track came through, it crossed the pr-existing road.at Mile Post 155.6 and the railroad designated the station as "Murphy".

Mary Murphy, Chrysolite Peak, 1983 - Poole Photo

Over the years, names for M.P.155.6  came and went. Unlike "Murphy", Romley had no district source; spoken, locale, cultural, persona or "otherwise". But even the several interim names tended to be confusing. In a few cases two names appeared on the same page as the same place. Sources and advent of names were often obscured. But, as we may find once available information is sorted out, it will become more clear how the names and town evolved.

M.P. 155.6; Ogden, MMMC ore bin & mill, June 1882 - Poole Col.

Right away the railroad installed a switch at M.P. 155.6. This was to service an ore loading bin and perhaps a platform constructed above the grade by the MMMC. There after the railroad renamed M.P.155.6 Murphys Switch. The photo shared below was probably take in June, 1882. Along this spur a coal car was spotted next to the ore bin (for low grade ore). Also the mine's first stamp mill appeared in the background. However, the dense stand of pine below the grade where the town would later be built appeared untouched. 

Early in 1882, Fred H. Werlitz, the company  Engineer, approached Augustus Helmer, Postmaster of St. Elmo, and request a Post Office for Murphys Switch. In response, Frank Hatton (First Assistant to the Postmaster General in Washington D.C,) sent an application to Werlitz; care of Gus Helmer. Werlitz's promptly filled out the application and returned it to the Department of the Post Office (DPO). 

Fred's information on the application supplied substantial insight into the beginnings of what would become Romley. Accordingly, there was "no village" near the station. Mail would be delivered to the mining office (this was within the boarding house from which it is likely the June 1882 photo was taken!). Fred also stated that the population of Murphys Switch was 105 individuals - "and increasing". Of course, most of this population was employees of the mining company but perhaps there were a few attached to the Ogden Eating House.

 MMMC's 1st stamp mill at Murphys Switch, June 1882 - Poole Col.

The application proposed naming the new Post Office "Neva". The significance of this name is unknown and, fortunately, it is never seen again! The document from Hatton was dated 25 April and Werlitz returned it on 18 May, 1882.

Nothing came of the 1882 application. Nor has an explanation turned up as to why. Presumably the application did not qualify. A reasonable hypothesis might be gathered from information on the application. Perhaps most significant is that there was no town at Murphys Switch. The small population, was almost entirely employed by a private company with no allegiance to stay at the location other than money literally dug out of the rock. Even the applicant was an officers of  this objectively dubious operation. From the perspective of the DPO the application simply did not qualify.

Boarding house at Level 4, 1983 - Poole Photo

The MMMC had two boarding facilities for employees. The first, as mentioned, was at M.P. 155.6 in the same building as the  company office. (See painting in Post 8.) This 2 story structure likely had a dining hall and could house 40 men. The second was at the Level 4 Tunnel about a mile up Pomeroy Gulch from M.P.155.6. This building had a capacity to bunk of 60 men.

As the largest producer in the district, employment at the MMMC was indeed increasing and optimism that would have justification a request for a Post Office is understandable. But transient men living in boarding houses was no measure of a permanent, growing community. It is plausible that the MMMC recognized this as the reason for the apparent denial. Neither is it hard to believe that the company would have translated this setback into determination. So far as we know, there isn't documented to substantiate what seems evident; that they set out to rectify their shortcoming by building their own town. As the stand of pine below the grade began to recede a company town emerged. It was first called Morley after the company President, James H. Morley.

 

7th Street Shops - Romley; An Historical Overview - Post 31

 

St. Elmo late 1890s; depot at left edge (above the turntable) with the 1164 sq. ft.freight building along the Aspen Spur (added to 1894 B&B listings). View looking up East Chalk Creek toward Tincup Pass. Romley was up the valley to the left - Poole Collection

The Denver South Park & Pacific Railroad (D.S.P. & P. or South Park) reached Forest City (St. Elmo) at the confluence of Chalk Creek and East Chalk Creek on 31 December 1880. The rails were in a construction race to reach the rich gold fields of the Gunnison River Valley; Gunnison, Crested Butte, Lake City and the San Juan region beyond. As the "Pacific" in the herald implied, the South Park had ambitious goals set for itself. Immediately in front of their efforts was the Saguache ("sah-watch") Range - the Continental Divide. 

From the former D.S.P.&P.R.R. right of way near Nathop, Mt. Princeton at 14,204 feet, towers more than 5,000 feet above the Arkansas Valley. The Chalk Creek District is through the gap at left.   Princeton shoulders Chalk Creek on the north and Mt. Antero (14,271 feet) shoulders (out of view) on the right . Beyond is the Divide of the North American Continent and Alpine Tunnel. Carrol Weiss Photo, 1942 - Poole Collection.

Work on the Alpine Tunnel under Altman Pass (renamed Helmers Pass) had already begun. This pass, yet 8 miles up hill from St. Elmo, was a relatively low point in the ridge The area at the top of Tunnel Gulch had been intensely and meticulous surveys throughout 1879. Excavation started on 9 January 1880. There was great expectation that the tunnel would be completed even before track reached Altman and that the South Park would handily beat the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D.&R.G.) into Gunnison. However, when track arrived at St. Elmo, tunnel work was already 6 months behind. A train would not pass through until July of 1882 (an engine went through in Dec. 1881.) and the D.&R.G. reached Gunnison in August 1881.

Beyond the farthest ridge (Mt. Antaro) is the Arkansas River (25 miles east, 4000 feet down), the camera was a few hundred feet above Atlantic (east portal, Alpine Tunnel) and mere yards from the Continental Divide. Romley is at the center of this view. Pomeroy Peak rises to the right - Poole photo 1985

The elevation at the apex inside the tunnel was 11,524 feet and only about 500 feet below the pass. The tunnel was 1772 feet long but measured as 1780 feet daylight to daylight in March, 1900. At the east portal (Atlantic) the track entered on a 24 degree curve that turned more than 90 degrees to the left  Geographically, the tunnel is aligned north to south.

Jackson Photo Special (Engine 42 with sleeper) stopped just beyond Pacific in the small hanging valley named Alpine. William H. Jackson took this view not long after the first train passed through the Tunnel on 19 July 1882 - W. H. Jackson Photo, Poole Collection.

View directly before the train in the photo above. Poole Photo 2005

If you need more details about the Alpine Tunnel a good place to start would be Dow Helmers' "The Alpine  Tunnel". Also, "The D.S.P.& P" by Mac Poor and Colorado R.R. Museum "Rail Annal No. 12" (Cornelius Hauch). There are many more publications in both books and magazines that are excellent resources for this and much more about the railroad. . 

The South Park gauged the rails at what Coloradoans (note the CORRECT  spelling of that noun!!) call Colorado Standard Gauge - 36" between the rails. (The rails were 30lbs to the yard.) This diminutive sizing was intended to reduce the costs of building a railroad in the Colorado Rockies where the motto was; "around the rocks, not through them". But this Tunnel - which was the only tunnel on the entire narrow gauge system for nearly 70 year of history - was an unavoidable exception, given the company goals.

In the distance, Brittle Silver Basin and the head waters of Quartz Creek. The railroad climbed out of the valley where it passed The Palisades and crossed the Toll Road down from Williams Pass. Poole Photos - 2005

During 1881, the South Park pushed the track work as fast as the crews could lay it; they reached the tunnel in mid October 1881. When grading reached the Tunnel several months earlier, it provided a direct supply route to the construction site.  The construction companies used the grade as a wagon road for transportation ahead of the track as it was built.

Of course, this wasn't the only road into Tunnel Gulch. For many years prospectors had traipsed all over the district. Some of the trails they created or "developed" from the natives became wagon roads and eventually a toll road was built from Forrest City (St. Elmo) up Chalk Creek. It crossed the Continental over Williams pass. On its decent into Quartz Creek, this Alpine & South Park Toll Road was crossed by the railroad grade just above the feature known as "The Palisades" (a vertical rock formation that rises several hundred feet above the grading). Supplies via the Toll Road could be forwarded up grade from the crossing into Alpine, the small hanging valley that is the location of the Tunnel's Pacific portal.

On the Atlantic side there was a road from the Toll Road westward up Tunnel Gulch but the construction camp was still hundreds of feet above the creek and the road.

Supplies were also packed over Altman Pass from Atlantic construction site.When the bore finally broke through, the arrival of the grading at Atlantic improved the supply to both construction camps from the east portal. .

View from above the railroad grade at Romley, looking north and down grade. The Pomeroy Bridge is located just beyond where the road disappears. Poole Photo - 1987

In the next post we will continue the overview of Chalk Creek and in particular Romley. This series of post is relative to Post 8.

7th Street Shops - Ma and Pa Balance Post 30

 

Colorado & Southern narrow gauge drag east of Trout Creek Pass challenged by 3 & 4% grades

I set a Delrin truck (Sn3) I'd just built on the track at the top of Trout Creek Pass (Denver, CO layout). As soon as I let go, the truck started and quickly gathered speed (grades 4% to 0). When I finally stopped it, it was coasting toward the 40 foot mark.

"HO Primer" by Linn Westcott published on the early 1960s

 "Arrange a 36" length of straight track on a board so one end of the track is 1" higher than the other. Then lubricate the wheels on your cars. ...and try rolling them on this hill. Some may take a slight nudge to start but, if any car won't pick up speed, it is a candidate for better wheels or trucks." HO Primer 6th edition, page 39.

While determining the traction effort of a locomotive on a controlled test track it seems the results are a bit optimistic to those realized under normal operating conditions of the layout. On the test grade the slope is constant and controlled. There are no curves and, when using a single car to carry all of the weight, only 8 journals boxes have any influence on the test.

On the layout, the same load is distributed over several cars. This increases the number of wheels, axles and bearing points. It also multiplies any adverse conditions that may be found in the track itself by the number of wheels involved. On a layout the track isn't consistent - often intentionally. Some cars may be on different grades while others may be in a curve. Naturally, all of these conditions come down to one factor; friction.

Modern model trucks have been refined to the point that they almost never cause trouble - especially in terms of friction. But if you run vintage or swap meet "treasures" you may need to be more mindful of the trucks. One way to overcome the short fall of practical operation is to lubricate the truck's journals.

Total train tonnage after lubricating the truck journals =  34.25oz (rare slipping)

Nearly all of the cars in the 54" train above did not roll like the Sn3 truck and the initial train test was not acceptable. Even individually, most of the cars did not roll down the 2% grade as well as expected. (The flat car uses Intermountain trucks.) One car did not volunteer to roll at all. 

Other factors to seek out would the inconsistent grades. There can be places where the track dips or bumps slightly and these can show up during a heavy haul. Also check the track gauge, particularly in the curves. Even when within gauge tolerance the rails can bind the wheels slightly. This can effect the pulling effort of the locomotive. A slightly loose gauge in curves is usually better than tight.

With the exception of the flat car, all of the cars are Central Valley Old Timer Series. Central Valley trucks were among the best available in their day. Because they are metal (which helps lower the center of gravity of the car) and they are sprung by the bolster, they are still my favorite HO scale truck. But, they are all metal and they should occasionally be oiled. 

After oiling all of the trucks (I recommend a light machine oil such as La belle) the test results more closely replicated the single car tests. But not quite; one car was still a little problematic.

We've discussed the tangible advantages locomotive balance can have on tractive effort, the nuances of car weight and well rolling trucks. Now let's consider how this information might also enhance the fun in model railroading abstracts.

Yard personnel and conductors of the trains require accurate records and markings of the various equipment as well as the anticipated load weights to manage their traffic. Especially for the local or peddler freights, where from one location to the next the consist frequently changes, it is important to monitor and collate the information in order to manage the day's tasks. Particularly in rugged country, it is important to assess the tonnage against the motive power's ability. This might exceed the useful limits of fun within our railroad's abstract but it is interesting to consider - the purpose of railroads being what they are.

Of course, we, as modelers don't actually move any commodities. This is one of the abstractions of our hobby that assist our enjoyment - without the mess. Yet, for those who like to play the "game" of operation it seems likely that the actual weights and capacities of the models might be incorporated into the evening's scenario - since they do have an actual affect on the operation. Give it some thought, gamers.

In the photo at left, you can see that the tags call out the weight of each car in real values. I'm still debating whether to use these values or some kind of "realistic" coding. Eventually, this information will be applied to the sides of the cars - where the "conductor" can read them.  

The Moore & Moore Lines is a "big" layout folded, spindled and more or less mutilated into a 4.5'x7' "acreage" But it isn't really that big nor is it particularly designed for the operation game. However, it is certainly aligned with the abstractions of  Whim. 

The primary purposes of this layout is to enjoy running trains and telling the tales of the little railroad, associated communities and the inhabitants thereof. But this doctrine of Whim doesn't precluded realism. The trains do run and they do so because the laws of physics still apply. Therefore the observer should expect to see that the folks and goats and cows and whatever else occupies these acres still have their feet firmly planted on solid Terra Foama.

Reality is the backdrop "texture" for this story book layout; very much in the spirit of the late E.L. Moore and his  Elizabeth Valley R.R. Any details that provide substance to its believability is welcomed to make the narrative convincing and entertaining. Thus, the caricaturization of every engine, car and

M&ML Local takes the train over the high bridges above Elizabeth

feature of the line - whether it physically exists or not.

The weights of the cars and the ability of the locomotives to pull them will be incorporated into the narrative in whatever way the opportunity may offer. The ruling grade is 2% and the one and only passing track can hold 3 - 4 cars. And that's the reality of it.