Agreed completely. They should take better care of it!
Here's my take: Remember, the park is owned, I believe, by the City of Canon City. In the 60's D&RGW still operate through Canon City and Royal Gorge, and have surplus steam locomotives. One -486- is provided (not sure if sold) to Canon City.
Eventually D&s wants 486, agrees to trade 499... remember City ownership involved so local elected officials probably won't agree to a locomotive disappearing, and probably definitely can't agree on a price if D&S wanted to buy it outright.
So 499 sits there on edge, looking a little more neglected every year. The fire comes, park budgets are tight, nobody wants to spend money painting, and we have what we have today.
Maybe it is time someone approaches them on it... either to buy it, or to paint it. After all, countless hours are spent volunteering in Chama, maybe a group could volunteer to paint 499.