The Engine House was built in 1944 as railroad operations at North Creek intensified during World War II. Demand for the mineral titanium had soared as the war shut off traditional sources, so the tracks were extended 30 miles north to the former iron mine in Tahawus, where the precious substance had been discovered; crews and diesel-electric locomotives were added as the train schedule grew to meet wartime demand. With its inspection pit, the Engine House provided a well-equipped, lighted and heated workshop in which to maintain the 1,000- to 1,600-horsepower locomotives. An elevated tower stored sand, which was applied to the rails by locomotives for added traction on steep grades and during inclement weather. Two large storage tanks, east of the building, quenched the locomotives' thirst for fuel. Gore Mountain Ski Center built an addition to the Engine House in 1994 and installed pumps to bring water for snow making from the Hudson River to the top of Gore Mountain.
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