Author: Mel Mcfarland
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Finding your way before GPS | Caboose Cobwebs
I like old maps. I remember planning trips across the country. I had a collection of road atlases and gas station maps. I still have some of them in my car. You may find this pretty normal from me, but it is the construction of our railroads that brought us good maps. Here in Colorado,…
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Finding your way before GPS | Caboose Cobwebs
I like old maps. I remember planning trips across the country. I had a collection of road atlases and gas station maps. I still have some of them in my car. You may find this pretty normal from me, but it is the construction of our railroads that brought us good maps. Here in Colorado,…
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Carrying livestock on the rails | Caboose Cobwebs
I recently read a story about a kind of railroad car that we do not see anymore, a stock car. These cars carried animals, mainly pigs, sheep and cattle. This story, from the 1890’s tells of a new development built by a company in Chicago. “The novelty of the car is a new folding floor…
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Carrying livestock on the rails | Caboose Cobwebs
I recently read a story about a kind of railroad car that we do not see anymore, a stock car. These cars carried animals, mainly pigs, sheep and cattle. This story, from the 1890’s tells of a new development built by a company in Chicago. “The novelty of the car is a new folding floor…
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A through line? | Caboose Cobwebs
Back in 1890, Colorado was in great anticipation of improved rail travel. The Union Pacific line ran through Wyoming while the Santa Fe ran into New Mexico. What about Colorado? Colorado was looking at the construction of a connection between Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction giving the state a transcontinental link. A San Francisco newspaper…
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A through line? | Caboose Cobwebs
Back in 1890, Colorado was in great anticipation of improved rail travel. The Union Pacific line ran through Wyoming while the Santa Fe ran into New Mexico. What about Colorado? Colorado was looking at the construction of a connection between Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction giving the state a transcontinental link. A San Francisco newspaper…
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Special visitors | Caboose Cobwebs
I recently ran across an interesting visit to Palmer Lake by leaders of the Denver and Rio Grande railroad in 1889. It tells of a distinguished party of gentlemen connected with the D&RGW arriving from Denver as guests at the hotel in Palmer Lake. The party was headed by General William J. Palmer, who had…
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Special visitors | Caboose Cobwebs
I recently ran across an interesting visit to Palmer Lake by leaders of the Denver and Rio Grande railroad in 1889. It tells of a distinguished party of gentlemen connected with the D&RGW arriving from Denver as guests at the hotel in Palmer Lake. The party was headed by General William J. Palmer, who had…
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Those movies | Caboose Cobwebs
As I watch old westerns on television, I am a little frustrated that our area is never represented accurately. Then again, I grew up on Gunsmoke on the radio and television. My father, who was raised back in Maryland had a different problem. My mother, however, had been across Kansas all of her life. When…
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Those movies | Caboose Cobwebs
As I watch old westerns on television, I am a little frustrated that our area is never represented accurately. Then again, I grew up on Gunsmoke on the radio and television. My father, who was raised back in Maryland had a different problem. My mother, however, had been across Kansas all of her life. When…