Hello all,
Here in Colorado most of the gold and silver producing mines ceased operation by the 1920’s. By the 1960’s most mines had closed with a few exceptions.
Pre-Civil War the “raw” ore was transported from the mines via wagons or aerial tramways to structures that resembled wooden coaling stations. It was hauled out of the mining districts by wagon to the nearest railroad to be shipped east.
This ore would have most likely been bagged or put in barrels then loaded onto freight cars.
This “raw” ore was then transported to the ports of Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York or as far as Boston.
It was then loaded onto ships as ballast and transported to the smelters in Swansea, Wales.
After final processing it was either sold in the markets abroad or shipped back to the U.S. Surprisingly enough for a profit!
Post Civil War, was the heyday of mining in Colorado; 1860’s-'70’s.
Along with the mines came the processing facilities; stamp mills, sluices, leaching vats and smelters. All of these were established close to the mines. This meant that train shipments out of the Gold producing districts were primarily ingots, not ore, even back then.
The earliest railroads in Colorado were established in the 1860’s. These were often narrow gauge and short lines within the mining districts.
The Denver & Rio Grande was established in 1870. The DRGW provided vital link from the mining districts to Denver and points east.
In the time frame you are talking about; 1940’s-'50’s I suspect that gondolas or hopper cars would have been used from the mines to the refineries.
Beyond the production facility the ingots would have been transported by freight or mail cars.
Modern mining transports the ore from the mines to the refineries via conveyor belts. The output is still ingots or Bullions rather
