In response to all those who are of the opinion that the #74 should be lettered for the C&S - this was considered but ultimately not carried out. It was decided to letter the engine for the last road she ran for and consequently the configuration she remains in today.
The reason for the current lettering as C&NW #30 was the decision of the City of Boulder, but was made AFTER the RGS lettering and number had been applied to both the engine and tender - hence the use of vinyl to change the engine to C&NW #30. Recall that the engine was on display in Boulder as #30 for over 50 years, so to Boulder and many citizens it is identifiable as #30. It was decided that the vinyl would be accurate to the lettering the engine had when it rolled out of Brooks in April 1898, as seen below.
As a comparison, I have included a postcard image probably taken soon after the trainset was put on display (it is at least pre-1958, when RGS 0401 was blown to bits by vandals).
Regards,
Shane
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2012 04:55PM by Shane Schabow.