At the east end of the narrowest part of Barbara's Gulch, BNSF's Provo-Denver is headed east toward Denver. The train just departed Rocky and is passing underneath CO-93. In the distance, you can clearly see the wind break on Big Ten Curve.
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Posted By Terry Ten Eyck On Wednesday, September 17, 2025 At 2:15:20 AM (PT)
Kevin’s great image captured lead locomotive 5699 just east of the SH 93 overpass, entering the two degree curve within Steam Shovel Cut, which was excavated in 1903 so the Moffat Road could reenter the main Leyden Gulch watershed from its north tributary – then called Artesian Gulch – now known as Barbara Gulch. The sub-contractor for this portion of the line was Frederick B. Orman, the 26 year-old son of ex-governor James B. Orman of the lead contracting firm of Orman & Crook.
The first steam shovel began excavating this 117,170 yd3 cut on April 21, 1903 and on May 31, 1903, a second steam shovel was employed. On about August 19, 1903, just as the grade was all prepped for rail, about 10,000 yd3 from the north slope slid into the cut. This caused a 52 day delay in rail laying. Robert Edward Cowden, 41, was the Locating Engineer and Julius J. Milton, 38, was the Assistant Engineer for construction in this area.
Locomotive 5699 is at elevation ≈ 6,111’ and ≈ 5,500 feet distant are the 24 windbreak derelict, journal bearing hoppers at elevation ≈ 6,332’. When the hoppers were welded to their rail in the first quarter of 1973, they were affectionally known then as either ‘Art Black’s Flower Pots’ or ‘Waring’s Wonderful Wind Wall’, named after either the Division Engineer, Arthur Charles Black or the Chief Engineer, Edward Holman Waring.
