The Gilpin Railroad Era: Black Hawk, Central City, Nevadaville, Russell Gulch

Hardcover with vinyl jacket, 416 pages, 438 photographs in B&W plus numerous maps.

This volume is a companion to Colorado Central Rail Road also published by Sundance Publications. Presented is the Gilpin Tramway two-foot-gauge Shay steam locomotives running out of Black Hawk, Colorado, to gold mines surrounding the communities of Central City, Nevadaville and Russell Gulch. The route is covered mile-by-mile with detailed in-depth captions and eyewitness newspaper articles of the day within the text. Drop-bottom ore cars, flat cars, excursion cars and cabooses made up the roster of rolling stock traversing the 4%+ grades. Maps are profusely augmented with gleanings from numerous research trips, and provide knowledge of tracks to shaft houses on the upper slopes and mills within Black Hawk.

Some 280 mines and mills were served by the Gilpin's network of trackage. A detailed station listing, measured from the Engine House, supplements information provided in photograph captions. Also included are roster charts of the locomotives and other equipment, details of the Gilpin Tramway purchase by the Colorado & Southern Railway, plus a listing of employees and associates.

Topics Include:
Five Shay Locomotives On The 2-Foot-Gauge Railroad with 4% grades to the mines.
Detailed Gilpin RR. Maps, Mileages from the Engine House.
Tramway Operations - Winter After Dark; Train Lengths; Run-aways and Accidents.
Newspaper Accounts about Shaft House Construction and Railroad Expansion.
Mining and Milling of Gold Ore.
Gold Mining Town Structures; Main Street, Churches, Homes, Schools.
Milled Ore Shipments to Golden via the Colorado & Southern Three-Foot-Gauge.