Nostalgia & History > RGS narrow gauge locomotive, engine number 464, engine

From the Denver Public Library website,

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm

Picture 1, “Call Number: RR-603. Title: RGS narrow gauge locomotive, engine number 464, engine type 2-8-2. Title-Alternative: Rio Grande Southern narrow gauge locomotive, engine number 464, engine type 2-8-2. Creator(s): Richardson, Robert W. Summary: Almost head on, distant view; in blizzard; last freight train to Dolores; bucking snow; smoke. Photographed: Unknown location, probably Colorado, December 19, 1951. Title from inventory prepared by Western History Department, Denver Public Library. 1 photonegative; 7 x 11 cm. (2 3/4 x 4 1/2 in.).”

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Picture 2, picture 1 enlarged 70%.

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You have to wonder how many times that train derailed.

Who cares about the train, you have to wonder how Bob Richardson even got there!

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The pic was taken in Dec. 1951 west of Durango in Wildcat Canon. Old US Highway 160 is between the RR and the hillside on the right. The higway dept. commonly plowed the road and dumped it across the RGS mainline like you see here. So instead of a foot of new snow, 464 is dealing with 12" of new snow with 2 feet of plowed up, packed snow on top of it. By this time the new US 160 had been built up Lightner Creek where it runs now, but the old road was and is still in existence. 464 had to make 2 trips from Durango to Dolores to close out the RGS' last revenue runs. The first trip was with two flats loaded with automobiles, the second is the train shown here with utility power poles in the consist. The final run of all time, was a week later when 464 again went west to Dolores to fetch the empties and bring them back to Durango. Despite problems with deep snow, it seems to have stayed on the rail.

Thanks Earlk for the information.

Also, 464 was a D&RGW locomotive, not an RGS one. 464 was rented by the RGS on a regular basis. The only serviceable engine the RGS had in Durango in late 1951 was 4-6-0 #20, but she did not have a plow and it was figured the tonnage and snow would way too much for her to handle.

464 bucking that much snow with that train on that hill wasn't going to do a whole lot
better. It's a wonder the RGS made it through some of those Winters.

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