DURANGO, Colo. - Jan. 28, 2020 - The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNGRR)™, which offers distinctive year-round rail experiences and special events to passengers of all ages in the remote, scenic wilderness and high-mountain landscape of Colorado's San Juan National Forest, today announced the long-awaited return to service of D&SNGRR Locomotive No. 493 following an extensive, multi-year rebuild, restoration and conversion. The legendary K-37 class Mikado steam engine, which will make its highly-anticipated reappearance during the company's 2020 winter photography weekend, Feb. 15-16, is the first locomotive in the D&SNGRR fleet to be converted into an oil-burning steam engine.
"The rebuild, restoration, conversion and return of service of No. 493 represents another important milestone in the ongoing evolution of the D&SNGRR, and further demonstrates this company's unwavering commitment to preserving Colorado's incredible railroading history," said Allen C. Harper, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of American Heritage Railways, and head of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. "Considering the state of No. 493's condition at the beginning of this project, the D&SNGRR roundhouse crew had to devote thousands of man hours to the completion of this work, and spend considerable time studying and learning from the mechanical operation and maintenance of Southern Pacific No. 18 during its time on loan here in Durango. The end result, a true marvel of heritage railroad engineering, will be on display during this month's winter photography weekend, with revenue service slated to begin soon thereafter. Finally, the addition of No. 493 to the D&SNGRR fleet gives us seven locomotives in the rotation, and provides the company with much-needed operational depth for greater engine scheduling and maintenance flexibility."
Originally constructed in 1902 as standard-gauge engine No. 1105 by Baldwin Locomotive Works (Baldwin) of Philadelphia, Pa., No. 493 serviced specific narrow-gauge sections, including the Crested Butte, Monarch, and Farmington Branches, of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) during its heyday. In August of 1928, the locomotive was converted to a narrow-gauge engine by the railroad's Burnham Shops in Denver, Colo.; renumbered as No. 493; and fitted with many new parts, such as new frames and smaller drivers. Measuring 41.1 feet long, 10.4 feet wide, and 13.3 feet high, No. 493 tips the scales at nearly 185,000 pounds, and boasts 37,000 pounds of tractive effort. The first of the larger D&RGW K-class locomotive to be converted into an oil-burning steam engine, No. 493 runs exclusively on recycled oil, and carries a 2,250-gallon tank that enables the locomotive to easily make the 90.8-mile round trip between Durango and Silverton.
"In addition to the extensive restoration time expected for completely rebuilding a deteriorated locomotive and tender which had not operated in over 50 years, No. 493's restoration was unique because of all the additional design, engineering, and fabrication time needed to complete the engine's transformation," said D&SNGRR Chief Mechanical Officer Randy Babcock, who supervised all of the work on the restored and converted locomotive. "For example, the locomotive's conversion from coal- to oil-fueled motive power required numerous original designs and drawings to facilitate the fabrication and machining of new parts.
"Even more time consuming was the months of work devoted to the locomotive's firebox, which necessitated the creation and installation of nearly 600 flexible staybolts. The addition of the flexible staybolts will alleviate one of the historically-inferior design points of the K-37 class of locomotives, and makes No. 493 more reliable and less maintenance-intensive. All in all, our team of mechanics, welders, and machinists devoted over 7,500 hours bringing No. 493 back from oblivion. For the first time in its proud history, the railroad has added a seventh operational steam locomotive to its roster, making the D&SNGRR home to the largest regularly operational fleet of steam locomotives in North America."
"From both operational and mechanical perspectives, it is important to note there is no tangible difference in the approaches required to service the D&SNGRR's coal-burning steam locomotives and an oil-burning engine such as No. 493," added Babcock. "Naturally, an oil-burning engine will stay cleaner and not require a night watchman, as is the case with our coal-fired engines."
To further diversify its fleet, the D&SNGRR's strategic long-term operational plan calls for the company to convert additional steam locomotives from coal-fired to oil-burning engines in the coming years. The railroad's roundhouse crew has already commenced conversion work on Locomotive No. 473.
D&SNGRR Locomotive No. 493 will make its first official public appearance as an operating engine during the night shoot on Saturday, Feb. 15 during the company's 15th annual winter photography weekend. Tickets to this year's winter photography weekend., Feb. 15-16. are available only by calling the D&SNGRR's reservations hotline at (877) 872-4607. For more information on the event's excursion and shoot schedule, and accompanying ticket costs, please visit http://bit.ly/2uIHNA8.
Contact
Keith R. Pillow, APR. MBA
