Grand Junction Industry Trackage – part 2

: ZTS 701 looking west from S 9th St

Here is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; industry trackage at Grand Junction.
　
　　
As of Dec. 4, 2018, Trains News Wire, the introducing of Precision Scheduled Railroading at Union Pacific will be implemented by the middle of 2019. It is already announced that MNYRO/MRONY was switched to tri-weekly MNYGJ/MGJNY since Dec. 2018. These may bring some changes to the local traffic at Grand Junction and its vicinity. Here, I represent my record of the local traffic at Grand Junction and its vicinity as of summer 2017.
　
　
The longest industry trackage at Grand Junction was the Sugar Beet Spur (2001 Union Pacific Zone-Track-Spot 701) to the Holly Sugar Factory/Climax Uranium Mill southeast from the center of the city. The part of the spur is still active today.

The Spur diverts from the Leg of Wye (ZTS 110) at under the S 5th St viaduct. Reverse curve leads the track to 4th Ave running east/west.

The industry trackage to the uranium mill once diverted south at the corner of 4th Ave and S 9th St.

The industry trackage to the Whitewater Building Materials (ZTS 770, Whitewater Bldrs. Supply) diverts south at the end of 4th Ave, while the industry trackage extends east into the former Grand Junction Steel Fabricating Co. (ZTS 769, Grand Jct. Steel) toward the end at S 12th St.

: ZTS 701 looking west from S 10th St
: ZTS 701 looking east from S 8th St
: ZTS 701 looking east from S 10th St
: end of ZTS 769 at S 12th St


Whitewater Building Materials Corporation established in 1948, provides ready-mixed-concrete, sand and gravel[1]. The appealing office structure was built in 1955[2]. The company appears in 1962 D&RGW Utah Industry Map as The Grand Jct. Building Mat. Co., Inc.[3]. It receives cement by hopper cars.

In 2015, Trainworx produced N scale NACC PD3000 NAHX and MILX hopper cars lettered WHITEWATER BUILDING MATERIALS CORP. GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO[4].

: Whitewater Building Materials Corp.
: Whitewater Building Materials


West of Whitewater Building Materials, warehouse of Castings Inc. still keeps a loading gate and platform facing the trackage. Castings Inc. was established in 1920 as a cast iron foundry[5]. The company still states its rail access in its web page. The structure itself was built in 1950[2].

: ZTS 701 and Castings inc.
: ZTS 769 former Grand Junction Steel Fabricating Co.


The industry at the eastern end of the industry trackage was the Grand Junction Steel Fabricating Co.[6]. The company established in 1947 produced bridges, building frames, industrial bins and tanks from heavy steel plates. The structure itself was built in 1922[2].

The company appears in 1962 D&RGW Utah Industry Map as Grand Jct. Steel Fabricating Co.[3]. It used to receive three to four cars a week of raw material[7]. Hirschfeld Holdings purchased the company in 2007. Unfortunately, however, it went out of business in 2009.

All photos are taken on Sep. 11, 2017

[1] Whitewater Building Materials Corp. web page at Manta.com;
[2] City of Grand Junction Business Map;
[3] 1962 D&RGW Utah Industry Map;
[4] Trainworx web page for Whitewater hopper cars;
[5] Castings Inc. homepage;
[6] Feb. 17, 1955 Aspen Daily Times;
[7] Rail District, Grand Junction Greater Downtown Plan;
* aerial photo of Climax Uranium Mill found at Wall Street Journal website;
* photo of Holly Sugar Mill found at Colorado Encyclopedia website;
* 2010 photo of HLCX #3856 switching ZTS 770 found at Trainboard.com web site;

: Map of Grand Junction Industries Served by rail


旧D&RGW沿線に今も遺るRio Grandeの遺物を紹介している。

かつては毛細血管のように町中に張り巡らされていた引き込み線も、こんにちでは洋の東西を問わず、見かけることは少なくなってきた。旧D&RGW本線の中間地点にあたるコロラド州Grand Junctionの町もその例外ではないが、それでもまだ幾カ所か生き残っている。しかし、路線を引き継いだUnion Pacificにおいても、Precision Scheduled Railroading（ハンター・ハリソン氏が提唱した鉄道の高効率運行・経営手法）の導入を拡充すると昨年末のTrains News Wireで報じられていた。鉄道会社にとって効率の悪いサービスの存続は今後望めない。したがって、これら引き込み線の存続も予断を許さない。そこで、一昨年訪ねた際の様子を記録としてここで順次紹介する。


最初に取り上げるのはSugar Beet Spur (Union Pacificによる附番：Zone-Track-Spot 701) という引き込み線である。線名は、かつてその終端にあった製糖工場に由来する。Grand Junctionでは最も長い引き込み線で、今も現役。Whitewater Building Materials (ZTS 770, Whitewater Bldrs. Supply)という生コン工場に、ホッパー車でセメントが到着する。その専用ホッパー車の模型はTrainworxから発売済み。

その他、荷扱いがあったこの引き込み線沿線の企業としては、近年ではGrand Junction Steel Fabricating Co. (ZTS 769, Grand Jct. Steel)という鉄骨製作工場やCastings Inc.という鋳物メーカー、古くはHolly Sugar Factoryという製糖工場や、その跡地に進出したClimax Uranium Millというウラン粗精錬工場を挙げることができる。