Saturday, October 26, 2024

I've Been Working in the Roundhouse by Zina Abbott

 

This is a continuation of the group of blog articles I previously posted, including I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, I’ve Been Working in the Station, and I’ve Been Working on a Section Crew

Why Roundhouses? Roundhouses gave crews space to work on the locomotives and other rolling stock (passenger coaches, freight cars, wood/coal tenders, etc.). They also kept locomotives and equipment within easy reach. A roundhouse complex often included a blacksmith shop, paint shop, coach shop, and car shop.

The first roundhouse is believed to have been built in Birmingham, England, in about 1837. Although it cannot be confirmed due to loss of records, it is believed the first in the US was built by the Baltimore and Ohio at Mt. Clare, Baltimore, Maryland, about 1840.

1880s near Palenstine, Texas

Early roundhouses, especially those built in cold climates, were fully enclosed, with the turntable as well as the stalls under cover. Once locomotives became too large to fit in these structures, they were torn down and replaced with "doughnut"-shaped structures that surrounded an open turntable. 


Although some roundhouses used by Class 1 railroads were built as a full-circle with as many as 52 stalls, the vast majority were only part of a circle with 12 or fewer stalls.

1878-85 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR Roundhouse

There was a reason most such facilities were round. The circular design allowed for a compact layout, keeping the locomotives and equipment inside closely spaced and within accessible reach. The building pattern was flexible, permitting a railroad to add stalls to an existing roundhouse (or remove them) as conditions warranted. The turntable used to access each roundhouse stall did not require multiple switches (such as using “Y” tracks) to move locomotives from place to place, thus simplifying moving the heavy pieces equipment between the tracks and repair bays.

Workers pose outside the Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee Roundhouse on its original site in Marshall, Michigan, circa 1890-1900.

Utah Central Railroad, Salt Lake City Roundhouse

Roundhouses were built in a multitude of locations—from the heart of a large city to out on the open plains. Larger railroads operated multiple roundhouses, generally located at 100-mile intervals. This was roughly the distance one train crew could travel in a single shift. The roundhouses on these large railroads served as relay points where a new locomotive (and crew) took over the train while the previous locomotive went in for maintenance.

In North America, regular daily serving began with a hostler, a locomotive operator who moves engines around a train yard, moving an engine to an ash pit to remove the detritus of burned wood or coal. The locomotive's tender would be refilled with fuel, water, and sand, and the engine would be placed above an inspection pit so that workers could inspect it for any maintenance needs and to lubricate it.

Roadhouse, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR

At larger 24-hour North American roundhouses, steam locomotives would often be turned around and made ready for service within a few hours of arrival. However, locomotives with major issues or in need of semi-regular maintenance required additional time were often sent to larger roundhouses staffed with boilermakers, blacksmiths, and pipefitters. Only those engines requiring major unexpected repairs or scheduled major maintenance were transported to  specialized backshops.


In the middle of the B&O (Baltimore & Ohio) Railway Roundhouse is their 60-foot turntable. This turntable was used to position passenger cars in an available bay for necessary repairs. The turntable uses no electricity and relies on central ball bearings to freely rotate equipment. When centered properly, a single person can push the turntable.


Denver & Rio Grande RR #218 and other engines at Salida, Colorado, ca 1900.

The roundhouse and its connecting buildings for servicing locomotives on the Chicago & Aurora Railroad. were first opened in 1857.


Roadhouse (1856 and 1859 portions), general view showing columns and roofline - Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, Roundhouse and Shops, Broadway and Spring Streets, Aurora, Illinois

North side Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR Roundhouse

By the 1920s, passenger cars became increasingly longer. More and more, existing roundhouses lost much of their usefulness. Following World War II, with the widespread adoption of diesel and electric locomotives—which needed far less maintenance—roundhouses lost much of their importance. The vast majority of roundhouses were torn down beginning in the 1950s and gradually disappeared from the American railroad scene.


Located in Jamestown, California, the roundhouse at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, with its operating entity, the Sierra Railway, is known as "The Movie Railroad." Both entities are a heritage railway and are a unit of the California State Park System. The park preserves the historic core of the original Sierra Railway of California. The railway's Jamestown locomotive and rolling stock maintenance facilities, including its roundhouse, are mostly intact. They are one of the few remaining functioning steam engine facilities and continue to function much as they have for over 100 years.

In my most recent release, Lemon Cookies by Lisbeth, my hero first works as a section crewman for the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in Gunnison, Colorado. Once he decides to relocate to my hypothetical town of Cleora (loosely based on Salida, Colorado), he looks for work in the roundhouse.

Lemon Cookies byLisbeth is currently available as an ebook for sale and at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options,

Please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.thehenryford.org/explore/blog/the-railroad-roundhouse

https://www.borail.org/collection/roundhouse/

https://www.frrandp.com/2018/12/the-aurora-roundhouse-from-railroad.html

https://www.borail.org/explore-learn/exhibitions/the-roundhouse/

https://community.utah.gov/westside-stories-image-gallery/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Roundhouse.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roadhouse,_stalls_18-23,_shop_crew_and_two_locomotives._Photographed_possibly_between_1878_and_1885_-_Chicago,_Burlington_and_Quincy_Railroad,_Roundhouse_and_Shops,_Broadway_and_HAER_ILL,45-AUR,1-81.tif

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Detail_showing_the_joining_of_the_roundhouse_and_the_shop,_from_the_southwest._-_Chicago,_Burlington_and_Quincy_Railroad,_Roundhouse_and_Shops,_Broadway_and_Spring_Streets,_HAER_ILL,45-AUR,1-100.tif

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Detail_of_the_north_side_of_the_roundhouse._-_Chicago,_Burlington_and_Quincy_Railroad,_Roundhouse_and_Shops,_Broadway_and_Spring_Streets,_Aurora,_Kane_County,_IL_HAER_ILL,45-AUR,1-98.tif

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roundhouse_LOC.fsa.8d23258.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EMRR_Roundhouse.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Providence_and_Worcester_Railroad_Roundhouse_Providence.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railtown_1897_State_Historic_Park

 

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Pack Burro Racing!

 It was a beautiful day in Frederick, Colorado for the Miners' Day Celebration and 10 K Pack Burro Race.

  Legend holds that the races trace back to an incident in which two miners, finding gold at the same location simultaneously, raced each other to the claims office. Because the burros were too small or loaded with equipment to carry their owners, the miners were forced to run, leading the burros.

    Riding the burro is not allowed,
 though the human may carry the burro!

The first documented pack burro race was held in 1949, and was the brainchild of local merchants in Fairplay, Colorado. The race was a 22.9-mile trek from Leadville to Fairplay, and the winner was Melville Sutton and his burro Whitey. 

The race was created to attract tourists to Fairplay's Gold Days celebration, and to help boost the local economy, which had been struggling after World War II. 

  The rules for pack burro racing have remained in place since the first race, and include the requirement that the burro must wear a saddle or pannier carrying a shovel, pick, and gold pan. The weight requirement no longer stands. 

   As in horse racing, there is a Trifecta for pack burro racing held at Fairplay, Leadville, and Buena Vista. 
 
The Fairplay race is 29 miles (47 km) and counts as an ultra-marathon. It takes place in late July as part of Fairplay's Burro Days town festival. The race begins on the main street and goes to the top of Mosquito Pass.

The Leadville race is 22 miles. It takes place the first full weekend of August, typically as part of the Leadville's Boom Days city festival. The race goes to the top of Mosquito Pass, then comes back into town through the California Gulch Mining District.

The Buena Vista race is 12 miles. It typically takes place a week after the Leadville race as part of Buena Vista's Gold Rush Days festival.

 The runners and burros need to be in good shape, especially for the higher elevations. As with all events and gatherings involving animals there are unscrupulous people and those without compassion for the animals with winning their only objective. 

All of the entrants that we saw seemed very conscientious, and proud of, and totally in love with, their burros. 

Donkeys/burros around the world are true beasts of burden and suffer in some very bad conditions. Wild burros in America are annually and cruelly rounded up by the BLM-Bureau of Land Management. Some are killed for what is known as "hide glue" to make cosmetics especially in China. 

                                       After the race, snack time.

I talked to my donkeys about being in a race, but they opted out because of age. Me too! 


My stories: 
Western Romance: Break Heart Canyon * Undercover Outlaw * Cowboys, Cattle and Cutthroats * A Cowboy’s Fate * Special Delivery. 
Contemporary Romantic Thriller: Fatal Recall
Medieval Romance: The Dragon and The Rose * Iron Heart                                 *Promise Me Christmas. 
Victorian Romance: Lady Gallant * Victorian Dream 
Fantasy: The Fae Warriors Trilogy: Solace * Bliss * Portence 

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Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Are You a Dog Person or a Cat Person? by Reggi Allder

 


Are You a Dog Person or a Cat Person? 

  by Reggi Allder

What About the Cowboys of the Old West?

Though there may have been a cat or two for mousing around the barn, the cowboys of the Old West needed and used dogs on the ranch and along the trail. The horses, the cowboys, and the dogs were an important part of moving and managing the cattle on the long cattle drives and the ranch land.

Corgis were bred to herd cows. Welsh Corgis were cattle herding dogs, the type of herding dog referred to as "heelers". This means they would nip at the heels of the larger animals to keep them moving. They push the animals forward. Typically, they stay behind the herd and move them from there. The combination of their being short, low to the ground, and their agility allowed them to avoid the hooves of the cattle.

It has been said that Corgis have been herding since the Middle Ages, and there is some documentary evidence of them herding back in about 800AD.- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation.


In their native Wales, Corgis were bred to be an all-around farm dog. Their primary job was moving livestock, including sheep and chickens, but they were also used as watchdogs for their home and the herd. They are good at eradicating the farm of vermin too.

 

This breed did a nice job of managing the cattle. But they were not the breed of choice in the Old West. You might ask, what dog was used by the cowhands on their trail drives?

 I did some research and it appears that Border Collies were used in the United States to move the herds. These are medium-sized dogs, usually black and white but some have other varieties, including tan and red Merle with short or long coats. Now considered the most intelligent dog of all the breeds, the temperament is such that it responds to and wants to please their owners. And they are quick to understand and do commands.They are an affectionate breed, and good with children.

My Border Collie Rexy

Rather than a heeler, the Border Collies get in front of the cattle and stare down the livestock with their "strong eye". Headers, also called fetching dogs, go in front and turn and or stop the animals.

 Ranchers still use these dogs.


Would you do what this dog asked?

 

Border Collies are also companions, service dogs, and pets. These much-loved canines live in homes, farms, and ranches all over the world.

 

 

 

Children often become fond of any animal or a foul. In my 4th Sierra Creek Series book My Country Heart Book, the little boy can’t have a dog, but he falls for a chicken named Gertrude, a Cream Legbar. BTW, they lay blue or green eggs. 

Do you have a favorite pet? Please leave a message, scroll to the bottom. 


If you love small towns, second chances, and real-to-life characters, the Sierra Creek Series is for you!” “A perfect feel-good read for the holidays.”


My Country Heart Book 4 by Reggi Allder

The two new residents in Sierra Creek are at a crossroads in their lives. For different reasons, each wants answers to direct them toward their separate futures. Lauren Walsh is in town to work with a renowned silversmith and then leave ASAP back to the city where she belongs.

Chance Williams is the new fire chief. Recovering from an injury sustained in a disastrous fire, should he remain on the job in the small town or leave the fire department and return to his Bay Area home?

A jewelry designer and a firefighter have little in common. Still, forced to live in close quarters, will sparks fly?

The engaging characters from the other Sierra Creek books return. Learn how Amy, Vanna, Sophie, and their partners are doing. Also, a mystery is an added ingredient in book 4.

https://www.amazon.com/Country-Heart-Sierra-Creek-Book-ebook/dp/B0BJ5L1K2V

 If you like suspense, take a look at my new release now on pre-order on Amazon. Release date Nov. 5th

Dangerous Moves book 4 in the Dangerous Series by Reggi Allder

The wrong move may be her last.

 https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Moves-Book-ebook/dp/B0DJ1KJ233/



 Can't wait until the 5th, order now and then read Dangerous Web Book 1 in the Dangerous Series by Reggi Allder

 When the past returns to threaten Emma’s present, is the key to her safety the man offering protection? Will his secrets put her in greater danger?


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