Steam & Excursion > The Musical Plow

My posting of a photo of the 489 yesterday brought some comment about her lack of a plow- something she wears this Summer of 2018.  Here is that same plow followed closely by the 497.  This plow, with the cut-outs for the pilot beam, has been passed around a bit.  If I recall, the 489 wore it once before in the 90's.  It's quite possible others in the C&T roster have taken a turn as well.  Perhaps Earl can enlighten us.
The 487 has had it's plow continuously for as long as I've been paying attention (1995).
SR

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Kinda like the "Mad Max" look.

The steel beam plow uses the existing pilot beam and thusly is somewhat universal.  Unlike the wood beam plow on the 487 that has a specially made big oak timber as a pilot beam.  the steel beam plows seem to be a 1940's invention from the shop up in Salida.

Its last D&RGW use was on 483 when it pulled the very last passenger train from Durango to Alamosa in November, 1968.  This was run by the National Park Service to investigate the possibility of the Park Service purchasing the narrow gauge for preservation.

Before that it was on 488 for many years.

In C&TS times the plow has been on every operating locomotive except 483 and 463.  I've seen it on 484, 487, 488, 489 and 497.  In the early 1980's 487 had the wood beam plow removed and a standard pilot installed.  We had a very wet snowy fall one year and the steel beam plow was installed on 487 for a few weeks at the end of the season.  And, no, it won't fit on 463 at all. 

I should point out is it a fairly big deal to put the plow on, requiring a couple of days work for 2-3 guys.  The pilot cage must come off, along with the steps and cut lever.  The plow is placed on the track ahead of the engine and blocked up to the correct height.  The the engine is pushed into the plow.  Lots of jacking and barring is needed to get the bolt holes to line up.  When the lower bolts are in, the upper strut braces are drawn up.  Lastly a special long shank coupler is installed along with connecting the brake pipe.