Chris Walker - Here I present you with a couple more pieces of the Jigsaw that is Idaho Springs. The Conx#8 Tankcar unloading site that has evaded location for all these years.
I am amazed that I haven't caught this earlier and I bet Harry Brunk will be too if he ever sees this info! It has been under our very noses for so long, and it took my understanding of the rise and demise of the Milling industry in Idaho Springs to bring these pieces together.
I had often looked into this [1940] scene in The Mineral Belt III, just another general view of Idaho Springs and one I thought that Digerness had got the date wrong. There appeared to be no track structure present on the roadbed. Several people are visible on the r-o-w so I (wrongly) assumed it was post-abandonment until the penny dropped: I had failed to notice #60 and Coach are not on display between the gas-station and the creek. They came later in 1941. This was one important piece of the jigsaw.
From pg 252 of The Mineral Belt V-III, David S. Digerness, Sundance Pub. 1982
Accordingly enlarged to reveal as best as can be presented here;
"A" the Silver Group of 3 Structures. As also revealed in DPL X-2283.
"B" a Black object larger than automobiles on the post-1930 alignment of the Chicago Creek Hwy 103.
"C" the wedge-shaped structure.
Above is the Sanborn Postcard from my collection that I was uncertain of the date, could these have both been taken on the same day? It shows the same structure "C" and the previously un-noticed black object "B", could this be CONX #8? The "A" structure group doesn't stand out at all.
The location of "B" certainly fits with being at the very end of the Jackson Mill siding shown incomplete on the 1908 Sanborn Map.
Cross checking with other pictures in the DPL collection yielded this DPL X-2283 enlargement of the Silver Group of 3 Structures which to my eye, resembles two gabled out buildings with a horizontal Tank in between. Not quite the conclusive proof that this could be the CONOCO Depot as I see no signage present to indicate such a dealership.
The reader may note in Harry Brunk's January/February 1989 Gazette title photo, a pipe is visible laying alongside the siding trackage in back of the CONX #8 which would indicate the the Fuel load was pumped to a storage Tank most likely out of sight to the left of picture. Let's not forget the existence of new, painted structures in this area of old, gritty Mill structures does add to the positive side of the ledger.
DPL X-2283
More for your deliberations.....
Chris Walker
in New Zealand
I'll have to pull up those photos on the DPL site all the images are showing as broken. Your argument sounds well thought out though.
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