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DENVER, SOUTH PARK and PACIFIC RAILROAD
DSP&P Combination Coach-Baggage Cars #1, 4, 6, 8, 23, 25, 26

The seven DSP&P combination coach-baggage cars were built between 1874 and 1879 by four different builders. They had baggage doors on each side toward one end and a passenger compartment taking up about 2/3 of the car-body. Each of the 7 cars was unique in size and appearance, particularly the window shape, size, and number. Original roof lines were the duckbill style but were converted at various times to the bullnose variety. Baggage-end platforms were removed and that end door sheathed over before or during early C&S days.

Source:
MidContinent Museum DSP&P Passenger Car Pages
 

DSP&P U.P. 1885 DL&G 1889 C&S 1899 C&S 1906
#1 Auraria #700 #700 #122 #22
#4 Halls Valley Coach #64 #64 #158 #77
#6 #701 #701 #123 #23
#8 #702 #702 #124 #27
#23 #703 #703 #125 #25
#25 #704 #704 #126 #24
#26 #705 #705 #127 #26

 

DSP&P. #1 #6, 8 #23,25 #26
Build Date 1874 1879

1874**

1879
Built by Hallack DSP&P

Bowers Dure

Ohio Falls
Length Over End Sills 34'-9" 35'-0" 35'-0" 40'-0"
Length Over Buffers 39'-8" 39'-4" 40'-0" 45'-1"
Truck Centers 24'-3" 23'-10" 25'-3" 30'-0"
Truck Wheelbase 5'-0"  5'-0" 5'-0" 5'-0"
Width 7'-7" 8'-0" 8'-0" 8'-0"
Height of Body 8'-11" 9'-1" 9'-0" 9'-1"
Body Above Rails 37" 37" 34" 36"
Clear Opening of Doors 3' 11½" x 5' 4¾" N/A 3' 11½" x 5' 4¾" 3' 8½" x
5' 5"
Wheel Size 24" 24" 24" 24"
Weight 26,600 37,040 32,000 34,000
Roof Hooded (1874)
Bullnose (1898)
Broken Duckbill (Through 1890s)
Bullnose
Hooded (1874)
Bullnose (1898)
Duckbill (1880s)
Bullnose
 
Heating

Stove

Stoves Stoves Stoves
Lighting Oil Lamps Oil Lamps Oil
Lamps
Oil
Lamps
Interior Finish Ash Oak Ash Oak Ash Oak Ash Poplar
Termination Date 1925? 1923 1910 1942

HISTORY
DSP&P combine #1, named "Auraria", was assembled by the Hallack Lumber Company in Denver in 1874, along with coach #2, named "Denver". These were the railway's complete passenger complement until 1878.  This car might have been built to a coach plan with windows 3 and 4 (of 13) replaced by a narrow baggage door. There were 6 windows to a side in the passenger compartment, but the end ones were not placed opposite each other, to accommodate stove and toilet. The car's name plaque was centered on the car. Seating was probably 2+1 in 5 rows with water closet and a stove in the 6th row.

Length over end sills for all cars in the table are for the single platform version.

DSP&P #4, "Halls Valley", was reported to be delivered as a combination car, but during the renumbering in 1885 it received a number in the "coach" category (#64 instead of a 700 series number). It was built by Barney and Snith in 1878. Seating and window arrangement as a combine are not known as there are no known photos of the car as a combine.

DSP&P #6 and #8, unnamed, were assembled by DSP&P Denver Shops in 1879. DSP&P #6 had the same layout as DSP&P #1, but was  about 5 inches wider. Seating was 2+2 in 6 rows, with toilet and stove at the end of the car.  DSP&P #8 was originally a Chair Car, with a row of reclining swivel chairs on both sides of the passenger compartment. By 1885, these chairs had been removed and replaced with conventional seats. The C&S folios show 7 windows in car #6 and 8 in car #8, and the dimensions of #8 show a longer car than #6.

DSP&P #23 and #25 were built by Bowers, Dure for the AT&SF in 1874. When AT&SF lost the "narrow gauge wars", the cars and two coaches became surplus and were sold to DSP&P in 1880. DSP&P #23 had 7 windows  with 6 rows of 2+2 seating. DSP&P #25 had the same seating but a larger area at the toilet and stove area, and an extra window, according to the C&S folios.

DSP&P #26 was built by Ohio Falls in 1879 and arrived on the South Park in 1880. It had 8 windows and 7 rows of 2+2 seating. The photo history of this car is somewhat ambiguous so the early DSP&P history is murky at best.

 
  DSP&P #4 "Halls Valley and #25 as they appear on the author's roster; #4 is a Bachmann model with custom
            paint and lettering, #25 is from LGB with some modifications, both are short a few windows.


PHOTO GALLERY


South Park coach-baggage car #1 at Buffalo Creek Station, probably during the latter half of 1878, with one of the brand-new Barney & Smith coaches. This and another early photo show DSP&P #1 as a lighter colour than other cars - maybe clear varnish on pine instead of chocolate brown paint.


Denver, Leadville & Gunnison #700 (ex DSP&P #1) at Roscoe on the Colorado Central, 1898.


FOLIOS and PLANS
Maxwell's plans for combination coach-baggage cars #1 and #6 resemble the folio drawings show later on this webpage, but include the missing end platform and some additional; comments.

DSP&P Combine #1 "Auraria" and DSP&P #6,  later #700 and 701
C&S #122 (later #22) and C&S #123 (later #23)


 

These folios of the DSP&P combination cars show their configuration after 1906. You will need to add the end platform to visualize their appearance in the DSP&P era of the 1880's. Overall length over the body will be helpful for modelers.



NOTE: The folio drawing below is for the coach version of DSP&P #4, after conversion from a combine, sometime before mid-1885.

 


 

NOTE: The folio drawing below is for the combine version of DSP&P #7, after conversion from a coach, date of conversion not known.


 

 


 



Copyright © 2022  E. R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng.  email