Steam & Excursion > Something About These Steam Locomotive Just Captures You!

One cannot deny that the coal-fired narrow gauge steam locomotives of Colorado had a certain charm all to their own back when they ran over the many miles of 3-foot track that once existed. Take one of these small engines and give it a special paint job as we see here and you really have a charming piece of motive power.

D&RGW strikes a gallant pose as she speeds her freight train of gondola cars and box cars along the banks of a river in this timeless scene.  Her special "Bumblebee Paint" treatment dates this for post 1949 when she returned from the Chicago World's Fair for which she had originally received this colorful paint scheme.

These little narrow gauge engines certainly had a charm all their own as we see here.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/18 03:26 by LoggerHogger.

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"Something About These Steam Locomotive Just Captures You!"

Quite true. I believe it's called Narrow Gauge Fever and there's no known cure (why would you want one?). You're only treatment option is to alleviate the symptons with regular infusions of coal smoke at specialized facilities in Chama, Golden and Durango.

Great photo.

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/18 08:21 by Jason-Rose.

Thank you Doctor Rose !

Very nice Martin.Any idea of a location.
Yes,The fever is very contageous.I have been suffering for many years.Can be somewhat expensive also,collecting models in On3 scale.
Regards,DK

I agree about the fever! I haven’t worked on my layout for the last two years since I started laying track in Como! There’s something wonderful about 12 inches to the foot scale in the Colorado high count!

Posted from iPhone

John Meixel
Longmont, CO

The pic is taken west of Gunnison CO.  268 is headed west to Sapinero, the end of what was then a branchline.  This line was part of the original 3' gauge mainline of the D&RG between Denver and Salt Lake City via the Royal Gorge, Marshall Pass and the Black Canon Of The Gunnison River.  The mainline was relocated to Tennessee Pass and standard-gauged in the early 1890's leaving the Salida-Grand Junction line as a secondary local route.  The line from Grand Junction to Montrose was widened later in the 1890's.  The line between Sapinero (west of Gunnison) to Cedar Creek (east of Montrose) over Cerro Summit and through the Black Canon was torn up in 1949 creating the first break in the Narrow Gauge Circle.

Bridge restrictions west of Gunnison required the Rio Grande to maintain some of the smallest power they ever owned in service out of Gunnison.  Little #268 was a 30-ton 1881 2-8-0.  268 survived the abandonment of all the narrow gauge west of Salida in 1955 and is on display at the local museum in Gunnison. 

Thanks Earl for locating the photo

Martin