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<br />~ .. <br /> <br /> <br />c <br /> <br />. - <br /> <br />- 5 <br /> <br />r, <br />~, <br /> <br />Company, and the Woods were out of business. The Skaguay plant is now <br /> <br />pwned .and operated by the Southern Colorado Power Company. <br /> <br />_ ,. . The building of a hydroelectric plant in a spot as rugged and <br /> <br />inaccessible as Skaguay was an undertaking that called for much money <br /> <br />and men with a mighty urge to build. First was the problem of locating <br /> <br />a place where there would be enough drop in elevation between the <br />reservoi~, and the water wheels, to give them power. This was solved <br />~y simply going into a canyon deep enough, and shooting out a flat <br />place big enough for their purpose. Next was the problem of how to <br />get materials and heavy machinery into the canyon they had selected. <br />To do this they built a tram from near the canyon's rim, right down to <br />the plant site. This tram, still in operation, is 3300 feet from top <br />to bottom. Along the face of the cliff,it. makes its way, crossing <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />breath-taking trestles one of which is 110 feet above the bed of the <br />creek. At one point, where they found a solid granite mountain looking <br />them in the face, they drove a 10 X 8 foot tunnel straight through for <br />a distance of 185 feet. This carries not only the rails for the tram, <br />but the steel water pipe also, laid under the track. The entire grade <br /> <br />. <br />'of this tram is steep, and the last seven hundred feet pitches down on <br />a 550 angle. The tram car is operated by a regular electric mine hoist, <br />with a drum and wire cable set at the ,top of the incline. This hoist <br />is controlled by the operator in the plant below, and has regular auto- <br />matic safety features that set the brakes in case anything goes wrong. <br />Four gene~'ators and water wheels weighing more than-1400 tons were <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />(~ <br /> <br />taken to the plant site over this tram. Materials to build the 60 x 100 <br /> <br />foot brick plant building, and the cottages came in the same way. In <br /> <br />order to reach the tram for loading, this heavy equipment was first <br /> <br />II <br />