ALPINE TUNNEL – PART 2 – STRUCTURES CLOSE TO ENTRANCE

The first building encountered on the walk into the long valley is the engine house. It collapsed long ago. The corners have been partially rebuilt to give a much better impression of its size. There was a turntable in the middle.  Its pit easily is visible in the rubble. An identical roundhouse was built by the DSP&P at Boreas Pass.

In a partial reconstruction track has been relaid into the engine house.  I was very impressed by the rebuilding of the corners. Framed by the opening in the building is the telegraph house, and at the left is the rebuilt coal storage bunker. At the far end of the valley is the west end of the tunnel, now collapsed.

The original tool shed has been replicated near the west end of the engine house.

The heavy timbers supported a water tub (a water tank without a top) within the engine house.

Closeup of the workmanship in the reconstructed corner of the building.

The long side wall of the engine house was partially  reconstructed, as well as the corners at the far end.

This new sign explains the engine house with a picture of the original and a drawing of its floor plan.

The lumber on the ground what is left of the collapsed frame boarding house. In back is the rebuilt  outhouse for residents of the boarding house.

The telegraph house survived time and the elements better than the other buildings there, but it still needed work to  stabilize it and to get everything square again. The ties and track are recent additions.

This is the view up the valley toward the end of the tunnel. The track to the right leads  to the engine house.

This sign shows the original appearance of the section house.

Here are  the partially rebuilt  walls of  the section house. It housed track workers stationed here until they finally  moved into the boarding house finished later.  In the foreground is track to the engine house.