TB Diamond wrote:If recall is correct, the spur was constructed solely to access the mine in the early days of World War Two as a defense-related project.
That's correct. The "Sanford Lake Branch" as the D&H called the railroad north of North Creek was built by the D&H during WW II for the account of "The Defense Plant Corporation, an Instrumentality of the United States." I believe the mine was also built and owned by the same entity, and operated under contract by National Lead Corporation. The D&H operated the railroad as an industrial plant track for the account of National Lead, so material from McIntyre Mine was billed from North Creek, not Tahawus. The operation of the Sanford Lake Branch was paid for by National Lead on a time and material basis, not as a freight charge. Defense Plant Corporation paid the D&H for track maintenance.
The ownership of the Sanford Lake Branch remained with the Federal Government, and was transferred to the General Services Administration after Defense Plant Corporation was disbanded.
I worked with several of the D&H civil engineers who did the location surveys and supervised the construction during the war. It was quite a story. Some days the preliminary location survey was less than a half mile ahead of the grading contractor. They still had to stake the center line and place the grade stakes before the next day's work. That was an early example of "fast track" construction, in more ways than one.
Gordon Davids
