The tank was a very necessary stop, especially for trains that consumed a great deal of water while working in the area’s heavy snows and difficult terrain.  The RGS constructed sixteen water tanks, at approximately ten-mile increments, along its 162-mile length to service locomotives.  These tanks were of wood construction with conical roofs and a 50,000-gallon capacity that dispensed water by gravity through a goose neck delivery spout.  After abandonment, all but three of the water tanks were removed, and Trout Lake is the best preserved.  Listed under Railroads in Colorado, 1858-1948 Multiple Property Submission.