This is a exact replica of the D.S.P.& P.R.R. wood fired engine #71. This particular engine was made by the Cooke Locomotive Co. in 1884 - model No. 1555.
This engine and wood tender is a LGB G scale dated around 1993. These trains run on indoor/outdoor brass rails and a lot of outdoor gardeners run these trains on beautiful layouts outdoors year round!
This was one of the original wood fired trains that ran up over the Continental Divide through Alpine Tunnel at 11,600 feet. This pass was so dangerous that the tunnel and the pass was abandoned shortly after the turn of the 20th Century. Alpine Tunnel and the pass leading up is now a " auto " road for the not so faint of heart, with stone Palisade cliff walls built by Italian stone masons in1880 with no mortar. They are still solid today and drop straight down thousands of feet. Much of this railroad bed is only wide enough for one vehicle with few turn outs, and backing up will leave you with white knuckles!! This was an engineering feat where they bored through the Continental Divide from both ends with only star drills and dynamite, and when they met, they were off only 1/8th of an inch!
Colorado Railroad History at it's finest!!
I remember the Alpine Tunnel and camping at the base of it in Pitkin! Awesome family times!! :)
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