Last Run of #498

Well, as I'm sitting here watching ice and frozen slush melting off our driveway and street here in North Alabama, I thought I'd post a story about the last run of the 498 which I've posted a couple times previously, but newer readers probably haven't seen it. I was reminded of this a couple days ago,from the post below about why #497 was restored and how it had come to be left in Durango.

I'll start at the beginning, but be brief, as it is somewhat redundant after the discussion below.

In September of 1968, the anticipated last revenue run Eastbound from Durango was scheduled. Mostly, it was to be an equipment transfer to clear out the Durango Yard of freight equipment that would be scrapped and burned or possibly sold. Motive Power for the run was to be two K-37's, #497 and #498. As time became close, Andy Payne, who was one of the Durango based engineers, laid off. The way I heard this originally was that the occasion was his mother's birthday, but it seems he also was interested in getting some photographs of the occasion. As there were no other engineers available for the run available in Durango to replace him, the only other option was to bring one of the guys over from Alamosa via bus. The Union insisted that deadhead wages were to be paid, and the D&RGW determined that there was no way they were going to do that. After some haggling, with neither side giving in, the D&RGW decided to use only #498, carrying as much tonnage as was possible and simply leave the rest of the train, along with #497 in Durango.

When the time came to leave Durango, after assembling as many empties as possible, in addition to whatever few loads there may have been, #498 whistled out of town for the last time. Because there had been infrequent traffic on the mainline that summer, there was an abundance of weeds on the rails, and the old #498 struggled mightily against every grade.

As the train eventually approached Monero, the engine crew became alarmed that the coal load in the tender was dangerously low. They decided to stop at the old tipple there in hopes that there would still be fuel in the Monero bunker to get them to Chama. None of the crewmen had any idea when the tipple had last been used.

With the hopes of the enginemen running high, #498 was spotted at the Monero chute. The tipple at Monero was much like the Fairbanks Morse tipples at Chama and Durango, except that it consisted only of the bunker, which was loaded from the top using trucks. The gate was much the same as those at Durango and Chama, and had been used primarily to load Drop Bottom Gons.

As the gate was opened, all that came out was a mere puff of Coal dust and a dead cat.

Once again, #498 pulled away, determined to do the very best it could. As #498 struggled and strained through the rest of the day toward Chama, doubt gave way to hope and eventually to victory as the train came into Chama on almost literally the last scoop of black gold and dust, and whatever BTU's were provided by the dead cat.

Take another look in the other thread at Russo's excellent picture of the good old #498 near Chama and note that clean stack! Now you know why.