Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The New Corkscrew Gulch Turntable



The new turntable is finally in service at Redbud.  Built on an elevated platform, the turntable is accessed by a short trestle that connects it to the newly relocated switch on the mainline.  The switch was removed from the mainline at Cedar Flats and skidded up the rails to its new location.  The platform hangs off the side of the hill, keeping the turntable clear of any flooding that plagued the original turntable by the creek.  As you can see, the mainline still follows the hillside, wrapping around the turntable before crossing Bridge #8.

As a nod to the storied covered turntable on the Silverton Railroad, I have been calling this one the Corkscrew Gulch Turntable.  Unlike the one on the Silverton RR, this one will not be covered by a roof!

More news later...