AlpineCMR Wrote:
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> Jeff, I was told by one of your volunteers at the
> CRRM last September (I visited during the
> Thomas-themed weekend, on the Saturday, and spoke
> at length to the guy manning the turntable
> demonstrations outside the roundhouse) that there
> was a plan to make C-19 #346 capable of visiting
> other railroads, in the same way as is planned for
> RGS #20. Federal regulation issues were holding up
> the process however.
Please keep in mind that our volunteers are not always entirely in the know. That being said depending on the day(or hour sometimes) the volunteer at the turntable may be a board member. 346 currently only meets state requirements. RGS 20 already is FRA compliant.
Any way let me make it clear, the museum currently has no plans to bring 346 up to FRA standards. However if the time and funding allow I will push to bring 346 up to FRA compliance. This is something I personally want to see happen. 2020 will be 346's last year of operation while we plan her next rebuild. Like I said no decision has been made yet as to how extensive her rebuild will be. If you want to see 346 visit other railroads your donations will help us make it happen.
> Is that the case? I was also told that K37 #491
> was essentially trapped at the museum due to
> weight restrictions on the nearby highway bridges,
> and that as a result, she could not make any
> return visits to her old San Juan's stamping
> ground. But since most of the K37s already based
> down there seem to be out of service anyway, she
> isn't likely to be of much use.
I would not say 491 is rapped at the museum, but chances are she will never leave. Local bridges have nothing to do with it, after all we moved an SD40T-2 across the nearest bridge. She could leave by truck, however she also does not meet FRA requirements and trucking permits will be near the mid 5 figures. She is likely to stay at the museum for these reasons. For a scant 6 figure donation we could dring her to FRA compliance and haul her to C&TS for a visit.
> #346 must have visited Durango during her
> Montezuma Lumber Company days, as she was based
> not far away, and I'm assuming visited the D&RGW
> shops there for repair work? If she could make a
> return visit down there, she could get a good run
> on a much longer line, and perhaps impersonate her
> scrapped sister #345 during photo charters. That
> would be appropriate as she is carrying #345's
> ornamental dome rings, after Bob Richardson
> managed to get them during a quiet swap at Durango
> in the 1950's. She could run with the vintage
> passenger stock on the C&TS as well.
As Chris said 346 was the Durango switcher for a time. She would look at home as herself. She also ran in the RGS at times.
Jeff Taylor
CRRM curator of equipment and rolling stock.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2020 04:50PM by Jeff Taylor.
