Like many facing unexpected time indoors, I’ve turned to model railroading to channel creativity. My current project? Designing an Sn3 scale retirement layout within my 11′ x 20′ workshop. Initial sketches are promising, fitting much of my vision into the space, albeit with some clever compression techniques. The Breckenridge yard area, including the wye, depot, and trackage for the C&D ore sampler, seems to integrate along one wall. I even managed to incorporate the low trestle over the Blue River, using a prominent gravel pile as a natural scenic divider. In a corner section measuring 28″ x 7′, the Gold Pan shops also find a home.
My ambition extends to modeling the steep grade up Illinois Gulch. I envision a 28″ wide shelf running above my workshop counters along the opposite long wall, ascending from the Gold Pan Shops at the base to Illinois Park at the summit. This upper section would feature spurs serving various small mines, mills, and a lumber loading facility.
Fortunately, Jeff Young, an enthusiast from Ireland, generously shared a high-resolution scan of a Denver Water Board photograph of Breckenridge from eBay. Many thanks, Jeff! Zooming in on a section of this photo reveals the Gold Pan Shops nestled at the foot of Illinois Gulch in January 1929:
My favored gravel pile stands distinctly behind the boiler house chimney.
The railway grade ascended Illinois Gulch between Barney Ford Hill (historically known as “Nigger Hill” in the South Park region) and Little Mountain:
The Gold Pan pipeline paralleled the railroad track on the left, with a wagon road positioned between them and further to the right in this image.
A spur line named Puzzle was situated at Milepost 108.7. According to railway records, it was a substantial 13-car spur serving a mining operation equipped with ore loading bins. Slightly downhill from Puzzle was the Little Mountain spur, documented as being only 212 feet long. Approximately 0.4 miles uphill from Puzzle, at the start of “Hookeye curve”, was Smith Spur, recorded as a 12-car length spur catering to a lumber loading facility with platforms.
A 1918 valuation map confirms the continued presence of both Puzzle and Smith Spurs, while the Little Mountain Spur is no longer indicated.
To accurately model one or more of these Illinois Park industries, I’m in search of photographs and additional information. Here’s what I’ve gathered so far:
Otto Westerman photo. In Digerness, The Mineral Belt, Volume II***
This image of the Little Mountain Mill, captured by Otto Westerman and featured in Digerness’s The Mineral Belt, Volume II, has captivated me since I first encountered it 35 years ago. The photographer is positioned on the Puzzle spur, evidenced by the visible derail. According to valuation maps, the “Puzzle” station sign would have been to the photographer’s left, at the junction of the mainline and the branching spur. Just a short distance downgrade towards Breckenridge lies the switch for the Little Mountain spur. I’ve always been drawn to this charming small mill on the left, with its associated boiler house, assuming it to be the Little Mountain Mill, although its true name remains uncertain. The valuation map identifies this property as being on the “Germania” claim, suggesting it might be the Germania Mill instead. The solitary boxcar bearing UP lettering hints at a possible timeframe in the 1890s.
Another photograph from Digerness offers a broader view of Illinois Park as seen from the tracks on Barney Ford Hill:
The Little Mountain spur and its mill are located in the lower right corner, while the Puzzle spur and its mining operation are centrally positioned. To the right, another mining operation is visible, its name unknown to me. The valuation map doesn’t indicate any trackage in this area. However, railway records do mention a Jacott spur (eleven car-lengths, constructed in 1908) situated between Puzzle and Smith spurs, which could potentially be it. Smith spur is situated out of frame to the right. A C&S freight train is pictured having just navigated the Hookeye curve and is ascending towards the Gold Pan trestle.
https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/15075/rec/496
This unattributed Denver Public Library photo presents a view across Illinois Park from the opposite perspective, with the C&S mainline descending towards Breckenridge in the distance. The Puzzle spur and its ore bins are in the lower left, and the mill at the Little Mountain spur is visible above the long tailings pile. This enlargement provides the best detail I could achieve:
The head frame design suggests a vertical shaft mine rather than a tunnel entrance into Little Mountain. However, details for model building remain scarce.
Illinois Park and the Hookeye curve as seen from Windy Point:
https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll21/id/3411/rec/30
The Little Mountain spur is out of sight to the left, behind Little Mountain. The Puzzle spur, with a line of boxcars at the ore bins, is in the center, possibly with Jacott Spur just below it. Smith Spur is located to the bottom left, branching off from the mainline as the Hookeye curve begins.
An enhanced view of Puzzle spur:
If that is indeed Jacott spur, its trackage is indistinguishable. And an enlargement of Smith Spur:
The valuation map indicates loading platforms on both sides of the spur, still present in 1918. The abundance of cut lumber suggests the presence of a nearby sawmill.
So, I’m reaching out to the community for assistance. Planning and constructing accurate models requires good reference photos. I would greatly appreciate any photographs, particularly of the mill at Little Mountain spur. Any information concerning the various mining operations within Illinois Park would also be invaluable. And Sanborn insurance maps – Chris, are there any available?
Thank you for your time and attention. You may now return to your safe havens…
Jim Courtney
Poulsbo, WA
