Steam & Excursion > D&RGW K-36's turn 90 years old this month

In August 1925, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad took delivery of 10 K-36 2-8-2 locomotives, the last new narrow-gauge locomotives that the D&RGW would purchase.  Amazingly, 9 of the 10 still exist in 2015--480, 481, 482, and 486 on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge RR in Durango, Colorado and 483, 484, 487, 488, and 489 on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR in Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado.  Only 485 met the scrapper's torch, after falling into the turntable pit in Salida, Colorado in 1953.  With the exception of 483, all of the other remaining K-36's have been in regular service on their respective railroads during the last few years.  Though I have not verified this, I am told by those in the know that the K-36 class of locomotives now comprise the largest quantity of a single class of steam locomotive still in service in the world.  By the way, 487 just emerged from a complete overhaul at Chama.

Happy 90th birthday to a great class of steam locomotives, still out there earning their living.

That is a truly amazing little piece of history

Posted from Android

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

483 could be coming back to operation real soon if a trade between Cumbres and Toltec and Durango happens

Thanks for bringing this up.  Those 90 year olds are out there working their guts out too, not 
wheezing around some little loop of track. Full bore steam action every day!

The_Chief_Way Wrote:
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> Thanks for bringing this up.  Those 90 year olds
> are out there working their guts out too, not 
> wheezing around some little loop of track. Full
> bore steam action every day!

How true.  People who want an amusement park ride can "enjoy" those wheezy little rides around a couple of miles of track--and they won't be seeing any K-36's.  The K-36's are doing REAL mountain steam railroading on the lengthy remnants (45 miles on the D&S and 64 miles on the C&TS) of the railroad that bought them.  Also, as a side note--with the exception of the time from December, 1968 to September, 1970, at least one K-36 has been running at some time during each of the K-36's 90 years.  Only during 1969 was there no K-36 under steam during the year.  That also is likely some kind of record for a class of steam locomotive.

WW Wrote:
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> Though I have not verified this, I am told by
> those in the know that the K-36 class of
> locomotives now comprise the largest quantity of a
> single class of steam locomotive still in service
> in the world.

I believe the German 99.23-.24 class of engines might have them beat. 17 were built between 1954 and 1956, all are still left, and 12 of them still run in regularly scheduled service on the Harz Mountain railway, which is what they were built for. 

There are still many JS and SY class 2-8-2's still running in China.
Chris

I also find it interesting that either 8 or 9 of the ten K37's also still exist. I thought nine still existed, but steamlocomotives.com only lists eight. Anyone know the correct number?

only the 490 has been scrapped of that class, so there are 9 left

Rode behind 488 and 489 yesterday, amazing as always, especially hearing them work. 484 was steamed up too, I think for the evening train at Chama.

496 is no longer with us as well.
491 Colorado Railroad Museum (operational)
492- C&TS (Chama)
493- D&S (Silverton)
494- C&TS (Antonito)
495- C&TS (Antonito)
497- C&TS (Chama)
498- D&S (Durango)
499- Royal Gorge Park

Posted from iPhone

Here is D&RGW #485 after her fall into the turntable pit.

Martin

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LoggerHogger Wrote:
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> Here is D&RGW #485 after her fall into the
> turntable pit.
>
> Martin

Thanks for the photo Martin.
Today we would say"that'll buff right out".
Though I'm sure it may have been the victim of some serious damage that deemed it unrepairable. Lots of things happen when that much weight takes a dive.

Posted from Android

The_Chief_Way Wrote:
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> only the 490 has been scrapped of that class, so
> there are 9 left

That is incorrect. 496 was scrapped in the 1950's--due supposedly to a cracked boiler.  490 was scrapped in the 1960's, after its smokebox was removed and grafted onto 492, which had hit a large rock at Navajo, west of Dulce, in 1963.  491 is at the Colorado Railroad Museum, 492, 494, 495, and 497 are on the C&TS; 493 languishes in Silverton, with 498 in Durango. 499 is at the Royal Gorge Park.  All except 491 are out of service, all except 491 in need of extensive overhauls or rebuilds.

As for 485, it suffered a broken frame, amongst other significant damage.  It had just been recently overhauled--many of its newer parts found their way onto 489, the last engine overhauled at Salida.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/15 21:02 by WW.