The purpose of these notes is to record a photo of a big wooden coaling tower. Since only the concrete towers have survived, we get a distorted view of how coaling towers were built. I wonder how prevalent wood towers used to be.
It took a lot of coal and water to get over the mountains. This town probably exists because of these coaling and water towers. Note the two buildings on the left side of the photo with the derrick on the roof. Those were probably pump houses to help supply the water tower we see in the background across from the depot. The coaling tower is built over the mainline to refuel trains that are passing through. There was no engine servicing facility in this town.
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| Mark Mcgowan posted UP's coaling facility at Wamsutta, Wyoming c. 1900. |
The town still exists because of refueling, both people and trucks. I can remember when we drove on I-80 for a trip to Denver that most of the vehicles were 18-wheelers and RVs. And that was a while ago because we now fly across the Plains States. With most Class I railroads intent on getting carload traffic off their rails, I imagine that the parade of trucks on I-80 is even more extreme.
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| Street View |
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